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Nevermore #3
Oblivion
This electrifying conclusion to the Nevermore trilogy takes one last trip to the dream world of Edgar Allan Poe to reveal the intertwined fates of Isobel and Varen.
The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins? —Edgar Allan Poe
The fine line between life and death blurred long ago for Isobel Lanley. After a deadly confrontation with Varen in the dreamworld, she’s terrified to return to that desolate and dangerous place. But when her nightmares resume, bleeding into reality, she is left with no choice. Varen’s darkness is catching up to her. To everything. Threatening to devour it all.
Isobel fears for her world. For her sanity and Varen’s—especially after a fresh and devastating loss. To make matters worse, the ghostly demon Lilith wants Varen for her own, and she will do anything to keep him in her grasp—anything.
Can Isobel ever find her happy ending? Worlds collide and fates are sealed in this breathtaking finale to the Nevermore trilogy.
The boundaries which divide Life from Death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins? —Edgar Allan Poe
The fine line between life and death blurred long ago for Isobel Lanley. After a deadly confrontation with Varen in the dreamworld, she’s terrified to return to that desolate and dangerous place. But when her nightmares resume, bleeding into reality, she is left with no choice. Varen’s darkness is catching up to her. To everything. Threatening to devour it all.
Isobel fears for her world. For her sanity and Varen’s—especially after a fresh and devastating loss. To make matters worse, the ghostly demon Lilith wants Varen for her own, and she will do anything to keep him in her grasp—anything.
Can Isobel ever find her happy ending? Worlds collide and fates are sealed in this breathtaking finale to the Nevermore trilogy.
448 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 28, 2015
69 people are currently reading
9485 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 499 reviews
August 1, 2015
It's the end of an era. A series I read within five years, the Nevermore trilogy wound to an end, and I couldn't be more content with the ending. It was certainly worth the wait.
Want to read
July 2, 2014July. 2015.
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Wow. I REALLY like that cover! And hey it looks really freaking good in color dang! Izzy's back in pink!
and now... August 26, 2014. Not the beginning, or even the middle of summer, but the very end of summer!
Pretty sure that's over two years since Enshadowed. aaawww maaann
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Well, according to Kelly Creagh on Twitter, this isn't coming out until SUMMER 2014
FFFFFUUUUUUUU
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Expected publication: 2013
I can only hope that it stays that way.
-
Wow. I REALLY like that cover! And hey it looks really freaking good in color dang! Izzy's back in pink!
and now... August 26, 2014. Not the beginning, or even the middle of summer, but the very end of summer!
Pretty sure that's over two years since Enshadowed. aaawww maaann
-
Well, according to Kelly Creagh on Twitter, this isn't coming out until SUMMER 2014
FFFFFUUUUUUUU
-
Expected publication: 2013
I can only hope that it stays that way.
March 21, 2015
Absolutely amazing!
Kelly Creagh and this trilogy were a huge breath of clean, fresh air and I'm so happy that I decided to pick up Nevermore, one fine day, I don't even know how many years ago.
I truly loved everything about this world - the writing, the dark gothic atmosphere, the plot and the characters.
I really admire the research that is clearly behind these books. Creagh was so far into Poe's work and, dare I say, psyche, that it almost seems she became one with him.
The descriptions of the dreams and the dreamland itself, with all its twisted scenarios and monstrous creatures is simply fascinating and it truly makes us believe we're inside the works of Edgar Allan Poe.
And the way nothing was what it seemed or what I was expecting it to be?
Outstanding!
I loved the fact Varen wasn't your usual hotshot protagonist.
He wasn't particularly physically strong, neither had he that classic male beauty, the one which makes you look at the guy and leaves you immediately gob-smacked.
No. In fact, he was a bit creepy. This mysterious dark figure, hovering over you, both repelling and drawing you in at the same time.
He hid behind a bitter, caustic façade, to protect himself from all the pain. He wanted you to fear him and stay away.
But he was beautiful. He had the soul of an artist, a poet. A tortured soul, nonetheless, but that only added to his appeal.
I just wanted to scream at the top of my lungs for him to stop hurting himself, since he was unique and he was worth saving and loving.
I'm glad Isobel saw in Varen all this and much more and fought relentlessly for him.
I have to say I didn't like her at first. Like Varen, I thought she was just one more shallow, blonde cheerleader, who thought she was better than the others.
She proved me wrong, though. She was a brave, clever, compassionate young woman and she could see beyond the surface into what really mattered.
I'll never forget the sacrifices she made and all she faced to save the love of her life.
Their love will stay with me forever. It's something transcending, beyond a mortal's definition of love.
I just wish we had seen more of them together and happy. I so wanted that. Maybe we still can *winks to Kelly Creagh*
Anyway, everything about this trilogy is marvellous, plus it's safe to say that now Edgar Allan Poe is even more fascinating to me.
I'll be anxiously waiting for the author's next work. Just don't make me wait 3 torturous years, please!
May 4, 2016
After the confrontation with Varen in Enshadowed the lines between reality and dream have blurred for Isobel. Even if she wanted to give up on Varen it seems not possible anymore. Dreams bleed into the canvas of her real world and she knows that she is running out of time. Either Varen's madness devours it all or she finds a way to stop him. To stop Lilith who is playing them all like chess pieces against each other.
And now that she has lost the trust of her family and of her former friends Isobel is more alone than ever. Whom can she trust? What should she believe in?
This was madness. Beautiful, heartbreaking madness. Intricate and emotional combined with toe-curling creepiness of the bizarre dreamworld, Varen's Nocs and Lilith lurking in the shadows and with just enough action at all the right moments.
There was barely a moment of calm for Isobel, not a single occurrence when she wasn't forced to look behind her shoulder, to question, to fear, to come up with solutions for problems seemingly unsolvable. Oblivion had it all, from action to psychological horror, to love, friendship, family bonds, life and death. It surprised me first and foremost with its depth and complexity.
How can you save a human being from itself? How can you save a person who does not want to be saved? How can you trust a person's distorted perception or the subconscious which nobody can truly control or understand?
I have grown tired of YA's usual easy way out of the final problem. So many series have a wonderful, promising start, even a nice middle and then a boring end.
Thankfully, it didn't happen in this one. The finale was perfect in every way, at least that's my personal opinion. And not only that, I found Oblivion intriguing from the psychological viewpoint. The power of the subconscious, all that we hide, often even from ourselves. This topic was raised in this book. I would even go so far as to say that it was a central issue. And in that sense the book was deeply Varen-centred, which was great. I was delighted to get an insight into his doubts, fears, see the monster that his psyche was hiding. It was creepy and I loved every moment of it.
The book dealt with topics like faith in a person, loyalty, trust and acceptance. As I've already said, the book was deeply psychological on more than one level.
Then, of course, there was the magnificent writing. I am in love with Creagh's write style, the creepy, gothic-like atmosphere that it creates and the wonderful word choice when it comes to descriptions of places, characters and action-scenes. Not too archaic, not too modern but a perfect middleground.
The characters, oh the brilliant brilliant characters. Every single one underwent such a huge journey, not only through the entire series but also in this book alone.
Isobel and Varen were fantastic together and at the same time also perfectly capable to function without the other. There was no dependence on the other like in the majority of YA books, no dumb decisions and pointless, sentimental dialogues. Everything happened for a reason, every word that was said, was said for a reason. I loved Varen's development as I loved Isobel's decisions and thought-process. No details here though, because it would seriously spoil things.
Gwen was priceless, naturally. She was in no way a comic-relief, more the humorous voice of logic and common sense and I think it is impossible not to love her. She lightened up the entire series. Especially her interactions with the teachers, Varen and Isobel's dad.
Which brings me to the secondary characters. They were as "alive" and round as the main ones, even Varen's parts of the psyche - the Nocs. There weren't too many or too few and they were flawed, and they had their own stories and I loved them all. I suppose I even liked Lilith because she was a serious and cunning enemy and I found her connection to Edgar Allan Poe rather interesting.
The links to his story were wonderfully done as well. The author is obviously more than familiar with Poe's works and intertwined them with Lilith's myth and Varen's subconscious in a way that they appeared like a natural part of the story rather than separate works of literature.
All in all a satisfying finale to a grandiose series which I am sure I will come back to more than once. Dark, profound and beautiful.
Highly recommended.
August 29, 2015
***This review has also been posted on The Social Potato
It’s hard to believe I waited almost 3 years for this book. The time seems to have stretched out forever but diving back into this series wasn’t hard for me (possibly because I continued to obsess over it for the past 3 years.) As soon as I opened the first page of the book, it felt like coming home; and how could it not when there are so many things to appreciate about this series.
As one can imagine, when one waits for a book for 3 years, expectations build. Maybe to insane amounts. So I am not going to tell you that this book was everything I had hoped it would be. If it had been, I probably would have died from all the awesomeness, but this book was fantastic. It was the finale this trilogy needed and it was WORTHY of this series. I never felt disappointed by the book and I felt so HAPPY with how things were worked out, even if I did have some minor issues.
One of my issues with the book was the time frame it took place in. I just feel like these last moments should have taken longer than a day. Especially since there was a showdown involved. They certainly felt like they took a lot longer and I would have just liked it had everything taken place at least over the time period of a week instead of a day. But that's just me, I am weird about time frames and there was a fantastic build up to those final moments so there isn't much to complain about.
My other problem was that Gwen still didn’t get enough spotlight. Gwen is a fabulous creature, let me tell you that. If there is anyone you want having your back, it is Gwen. She is a great friend and she puts up with Isobel even when Isobel takes Gwen for granted. She also calls Isobel out on her shit which just makes me like her better. She is the best best friend ever and I just wished we could see more of her awesomeness like we did in Nevermore.
I also wish we saw more of Isobel’s brother. He is adorable and I love his relationship with Isobel. They fight but they also care about each other dearly and I cannot help but wish we saw more of them together.
Isobel is a great main character. I will say that I think she developed more in Nevermore than in the latter books but I still enjoyed being in her head. She is someone who cares about her friends and family and has definitely matured over the course of the books. She also cares a LOT about Varen. Which also makes me sometimes wonder if this series wouldn’t have been a lot more interesting had it been adult instead of YA (and I am not only saying that because sexy times. :P)
Varen is also the apple of my eye and the person I wrote a Valentine’s letter to last year so we know I love him. And thank the gods he got more page time in this book because my poor heart would have broken otherwise. He did some shitty things in Enshadowed but I will forgive him because he is Varen but also because he caught up right away this time and had faith in Isobel.
This book is full of so many amazing characters and I also wanted to mention Reynolds who is one of the best things in this series. He is a mysterious character and you never know what he is up to but you know he is and never will be Isobel’s enemy. I was so happy with how things turned out with him.
I will miss every single one of the characters in this series but I will also miss the gorgeous world that Creagh built. Her haunting prose brings the creepy, Poe inspired atmosphere of this book to life. My eyes were glued and I was flipping pages, trying to devour this book in one go (but also since I’d be waiting for 3 years, it’s not a surprise I devoured this beauty.)
The epic finale was exactly what this series deserved and made me happy. There was an epilogue to follow and while I am not a 100% sure how I feel about it, I will say that it wasn’t cheesy which made me really happy. It had the kind of sweetness that the characters deserved given everything they had been through over the course of the 3 books.
This series will be missed SO FLIPPIN much but I needed this closure and I needed to know what would become of these characters. For all of those who have followed the Nevermore trilogy as enthusiastically as I have, it’s here. The book is here and it won. LET'S CELEBRATE. For those who haven’t, definitely give it more than a glance (especially if you enjoy gothic reads with fantastic characters and haunting prose.)
Note that I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
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I want this book so bad.
I need to know that Varen will get his happy ending...but why do I think Isobel will give up on him? She cannot do that!!
Oh my heart it will take over an year to collect all the stray pieces of my broken heart together and if this book ends sadly then it will break again :(
EDIT: I found out this book isn't coming until summer 2014... is it just me or is everyone else getting misty eyed as well? I've been waiting for this book for so long and to know that I have to wait almost another year is breaking my heart (like it wasn't already broken..). I know Kelly is going to come up with something amazing but the wait is KILLING me.
Edit #2: THERE IS A TITLE!!
:')
Oblivion....
Edit #3
AND NOW A COVERRRRRR
Edit #4
July 2015? Excuse me.. I need a moment.
It’s hard to believe I waited almost 3 years for this book. The time seems to have stretched out forever but diving back into this series wasn’t hard for me (possibly because I continued to obsess over it for the past 3 years.) As soon as I opened the first page of the book, it felt like coming home; and how could it not when there are so many things to appreciate about this series.
As one can imagine, when one waits for a book for 3 years, expectations build. Maybe to insane amounts. So I am not going to tell you that this book was everything I had hoped it would be. If it had been, I probably would have died from all the awesomeness, but this book was fantastic. It was the finale this trilogy needed and it was WORTHY of this series. I never felt disappointed by the book and I felt so HAPPY with how things were worked out, even if I did have some minor issues.
One of my issues with the book was the time frame it took place in. I just feel like these last moments should have taken longer than a day. Especially since there was a showdown involved. They certainly felt like they took a lot longer and I would have just liked it had everything taken place at least over the time period of a week instead of a day. But that's just me, I am weird about time frames and there was a fantastic build up to those final moments so there isn't much to complain about.
My other problem was that Gwen still didn’t get enough spotlight. Gwen is a fabulous creature, let me tell you that. If there is anyone you want having your back, it is Gwen. She is a great friend and she puts up with Isobel even when Isobel takes Gwen for granted. She also calls Isobel out on her shit which just makes me like her better. She is the best best friend ever and I just wished we could see more of her awesomeness like we did in Nevermore.
I also wish we saw more of Isobel’s brother. He is adorable and I love his relationship with Isobel. They fight but they also care about each other dearly and I cannot help but wish we saw more of them together.
Isobel is a great main character. I will say that I think she developed more in Nevermore than in the latter books but I still enjoyed being in her head. She is someone who cares about her friends and family and has definitely matured over the course of the books. She also cares a LOT about Varen. Which also makes me sometimes wonder if this series wouldn’t have been a lot more interesting had it been adult instead of YA (and I am not only saying that because sexy times. :P)
Varen is also the apple of my eye and the person I wrote a Valentine’s letter to last year so we know I love him. And thank the gods he got more page time in this book because my poor heart would have broken otherwise. He did some shitty things in Enshadowed but I will forgive him because he is Varen but also because he caught up right away this time and had faith in Isobel.
This book is full of so many amazing characters and I also wanted to mention Reynolds who is one of the best things in this series. He is a mysterious character and you never know what he is up to but you know he is and never will be Isobel’s enemy. I was so happy with how things turned out with him.
I will miss every single one of the characters in this series but I will also miss the gorgeous world that Creagh built. Her haunting prose brings the creepy, Poe inspired atmosphere of this book to life. My eyes were glued and I was flipping pages, trying to devour this book in one go (but also since I’d be waiting for 3 years, it’s not a surprise I devoured this beauty.)
The epic finale was exactly what this series deserved and made me happy. There was an epilogue to follow and while I am not a 100% sure how I feel about it, I will say that it wasn’t cheesy which made me really happy. It had the kind of sweetness that the characters deserved given everything they had been through over the course of the 3 books.
This series will be missed SO FLIPPIN much but I needed this closure and I needed to know what would become of these characters. For all of those who have followed the Nevermore trilogy as enthusiastically as I have, it’s here. The book is here and it won. LET'S CELEBRATE. For those who haven’t, definitely give it more than a glance (especially if you enjoy gothic reads with fantastic characters and haunting prose.)
Note that I received an eARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
-----------------------
I want this book so bad.
I need to know that Varen will get his happy ending...but why do I think Isobel will give up on him? She cannot do that!!
Oh my heart it will take over an year to collect all the stray pieces of my broken heart together and if this book ends sadly then it will break again :(
EDIT: I found out this book isn't coming until summer 2014... is it just me or is everyone else getting misty eyed as well? I've been waiting for this book for so long and to know that I have to wait almost another year is breaking my heart (like it wasn't already broken..). I know Kelly is going to come up with something amazing but the wait is KILLING me.
Edit #2: THERE IS A TITLE!!
:')
Oblivion....
Edit #3
AND NOW A COVERRRRRR
Edit #4
July 2015? Excuse me.. I need a moment.
October 26, 2022
I hate that such an amazing, haunting, beautiful series has such horrible and off-putting covers, because they block the beauty that lies within these pages. I don't know if it's because I'm older and appreciated all the build up even more, but this series, I think, became a top absolute favorite. This series is so slept on, it's scary. It's ridiculous.
Now I just wish they'd revamp the covers to match the inside.
***
I can't even.
Epic. Beautiful. Heart-wrenching. Perfection. This series is just so addicting...I don't think I'll ever forget it. And this final books was everything the first book was and more. Everything I could ask for. Peril. Devastation. Heart-stopping romance.
I could go on and on...but I've been ranting about it all week already..and I could rant until next Sunday. I cannot wait to add quotes when I get home. I'm so obsessed. Just UGH.
I can't.
For more of my reviews, please visit:
Now I just wish they'd revamp the covers to match the inside.
***
I can't even.
Epic. Beautiful. Heart-wrenching. Perfection. This series is just so addicting...I don't think I'll ever forget it. And this final books was everything the first book was and more. Everything I could ask for. Peril. Devastation. Heart-stopping romance.
I could go on and on...but I've been ranting about it all week already..and I could rant until next Sunday. I cannot wait to add quotes when I get home. I'm so obsessed. Just UGH.
I can't.
For more of my reviews, please visit:
July 29, 2015
Spoilers
Didn't like it. Isobel whinged and whined non-stop and was all about saving Varen (the boy she dated for all of 5 minutes) from Lilith/the dreamworld, she didn't give a damn about her friends, family, or school. All that mattered was Varen, it was pathetic. Meanwhile Varen spent all his time either brooding or snarling or threatening to kill Isobel. Which somehow lead to Isobel begging Varen for forgiveness despite him trying to kill her and causing her all kinds of chaos and pain. She risked her life and mental state and did everything in her power to save him from all the trouble he caused himself and the ungrateful sod just threw in back in her face and twisted things to make everything her fault. So yea, it was the typical, one sided YA PNR romance.
-Pretty much all the book was just Isobel monologuing and chasing after Varen. Every time Isobel would find Varen, he'd run away, throw a hissy fit and disappear, or they'd be torn apart for some stupid reason or another. It was so frustrating and boring.
-Certain scenes (especially in the dreamworld) were written really poorly, the scenery would just randomly change, and the actions scenes were incoherent and hard to follow. Isobel would be in one poorly described place in one paragraph and then in the next one she'd be somewhere else entirely. How she got there and what exactly was around her was never made clear. The dialogue and Isobel's thought processes would just zigzag all over the place and jump from one thing to another. It made everything difficult to follow and hard to picture.
-I was hoping Isobel would return to her normal, fun loving self after realising that Varen wasn't worth her energy or time. But instead she was even more whiny and mopey in this one. It was hard to sympathise with her when she spent all her time feeling sorry for herself and chasing after the boy who kept trying to kill her.
She was so irritating, especially when her family and friends kept trying to reach out to her and she responded by being bitchy and ungrateful. She didn't deserve Gwen, Danny or her parents love, they were all trying to help and support her but the silly cow didn't once appreciate that. Nope, it was all about Varen. Ugh.
-Everything about Isobel and Varen's relationship was infuriating. Was I meant to be rooting for them? I HATED their relationship. Isobel used to be so fun and likeable but she turned into a pathetic, self-pitying mess who treated her friends and family like crap because her selfish boyfriend of two minutes had pissed off to Lala land.
Isobel's attitude in regards to fucked up, psycho, whining, abusive Varen took the piss. Why was she trying to save him from Lilith/the dreamworld? He didn't want to be saved. He was only there because he wanted to be, no-one forced him to be there! Was I meant to feel sorry for him? I didn't. The situation he was in was ALL his own fault. He was only trapped in the dreamworld because he decided to turn to Lilith instead of trying to reconnect with the people around him. He was weak and selfish and bought everything on himself, he only had himself to blame.
-Varen didn't give a fuck about Isobel, he had ZERO faith or trust in her, he constantly thought the worst of her. And when he wasn't being a cry-baby bitch all he did was intimidate her, threaten her or try to kill her. He didn't ONCE apologise to Isobel for pushing her off a cliff and killing her. No, she was the one who ended up apologising to him, she was the one who was grovelling and trying to prove herself to him. WTF?! Varen was the one who was in the wrong, he let her down and hurt her over and over yet Isobel was doing all the begging and chasing. It made no sense.
Why did Varen expect so much loyalty, faith and heroism from Isobel when he didn't give ANY back? If anyone had to prove their worth and love, it was HIM. But no, instead of doing that and making it up to Isobel and fighting for her and believing in her he chose to think the worst of her and instead believe all the lies and manipulation Lilith showed him (despite knowing she was evil). All he did whenever Isobel tried to reach out to him was threaten her with death and verbally and emotionally abuse her. He was selfish, vile and irredeemable. That would have been fine if Isobel and everyone else didn't keep making excuses for him and painting him as some sort of victim and good guy. He wasn't either, he bought everything on himself and didn't care about Isobel or anyone else. It was so irritating how Isobel fawned over Varen and risked her life for him and insisted that he was sympathetic and that nothing was his fault, when that wasn't the case. He wasn't some misunderstood little puppy that was seduced by Lilith. He was a prick who knowingly turned to someone evil and then blamed everyone else for his problems and acted hard done by. Yea, I HATED him. I didn't want Isobel to save him, I wanted her to wake up and realise that Varen had done nothing but abuse and hurt her, and that she needed to get far, far away from him. There was no romance between them, just a pathetic-thick twit of a girl desperate for any scraps her narcissistic, murdery, melodramatic boyfriend threw at her. Ugh.
-Why did Isobel keep blaming Lilith for trapping Varen in the dreamworld? Varen was the one who turned to Lilith, he was the one who ignored his loved ones and chose Lilith. Everything that happened to Varen was down to him. Isobel and his family/friends weren't good enough for him, so he turned his back on them and went elsewhere for love. Lilith barely did anything to 'seduce' Varen. The most she did was show Varen that Isobel felt indifferently about him and because of that he had a hissy fit and wrote off Isobel, and then proceeded to punish her without giving her a chance to explain. Well, he did eventually deign to listen to her after she'd risked her life dozens of times and got down on her knees and begged him to hear her side of the story. Ugh, he was despicable. I have no doubt that he'll carry on treating Isobel like rubbish for the rest of their lives.
-There was so many long, boring descriptions and monologues. I wanted more dialogue and interaction between characters, instead there was just a load of Isobel describing her boring thoughts and nonsensical surroundings.
-What was with Madeline at the end? The mystery about her whereabouts and why she walked out on Varen and her husband wasn't even explained. Why didn't she keep in contact with Varen? Why did she cut him out of her life and then go on to have another kid? Did she know Varen wanted to see her? I wanted to know why she pissed off and forgot all about her son, that would have actually been interesting.
All in all, I wasn't impressed. Isobel's POV was so dull and repetitive, and her obsession and desperation for all things Varen was nauseating. Isobel/Varen fans will probably love this though, there's plenty of cheesy romance, drama and angst, but none of it worked for me.
Didn't like it. Isobel whinged and whined non-stop and was all about saving Varen (the boy she dated for all of 5 minutes) from Lilith/the dreamworld, she didn't give a damn about her friends, family, or school. All that mattered was Varen, it was pathetic. Meanwhile Varen spent all his time either brooding or snarling or threatening to kill Isobel. Which somehow lead to Isobel begging Varen for forgiveness despite him trying to kill her and causing her all kinds of chaos and pain. She risked her life and mental state and did everything in her power to save him from all the trouble he caused himself and the ungrateful sod just threw in back in her face and twisted things to make everything her fault. So yea, it was the typical, one sided YA PNR romance.
-Pretty much all the book was just Isobel monologuing and chasing after Varen. Every time Isobel would find Varen, he'd run away, throw a hissy fit and disappear, or they'd be torn apart for some stupid reason or another. It was so frustrating and boring.
-Certain scenes (especially in the dreamworld) were written really poorly, the scenery would just randomly change, and the actions scenes were incoherent and hard to follow. Isobel would be in one poorly described place in one paragraph and then in the next one she'd be somewhere else entirely. How she got there and what exactly was around her was never made clear. The dialogue and Isobel's thought processes would just zigzag all over the place and jump from one thing to another. It made everything difficult to follow and hard to picture.
-I was hoping Isobel would return to her normal, fun loving self after realising that Varen wasn't worth her energy or time. But instead she was even more whiny and mopey in this one. It was hard to sympathise with her when she spent all her time feeling sorry for herself and chasing after the boy who kept trying to kill her.
She was so irritating, especially when her family and friends kept trying to reach out to her and she responded by being bitchy and ungrateful. She didn't deserve Gwen, Danny or her parents love, they were all trying to help and support her but the silly cow didn't once appreciate that. Nope, it was all about Varen. Ugh.
-Everything about Isobel and Varen's relationship was infuriating. Was I meant to be rooting for them? I HATED their relationship. Isobel used to be so fun and likeable but she turned into a pathetic, self-pitying mess who treated her friends and family like crap because her selfish boyfriend of two minutes had pissed off to Lala land.
Isobel's attitude in regards to fucked up, psycho, whining, abusive Varen took the piss. Why was she trying to save him from Lilith/the dreamworld? He didn't want to be saved. He was only there because he wanted to be, no-one forced him to be there! Was I meant to feel sorry for him? I didn't. The situation he was in was ALL his own fault. He was only trapped in the dreamworld because he decided to turn to Lilith instead of trying to reconnect with the people around him. He was weak and selfish and bought everything on himself, he only had himself to blame.
-Varen didn't give a fuck about Isobel, he had ZERO faith or trust in her, he constantly thought the worst of her. And when he wasn't being a cry-baby bitch all he did was intimidate her, threaten her or try to kill her. He didn't ONCE apologise to Isobel for pushing her off a cliff and killing her. No, she was the one who ended up apologising to him, she was the one who was grovelling and trying to prove herself to him. WTF?! Varen was the one who was in the wrong, he let her down and hurt her over and over yet Isobel was doing all the begging and chasing. It made no sense.
Why did Varen expect so much loyalty, faith and heroism from Isobel when he didn't give ANY back? If anyone had to prove their worth and love, it was HIM. But no, instead of doing that and making it up to Isobel and fighting for her and believing in her he chose to think the worst of her and instead believe all the lies and manipulation Lilith showed him (despite knowing she was evil). All he did whenever Isobel tried to reach out to him was threaten her with death and verbally and emotionally abuse her. He was selfish, vile and irredeemable. That would have been fine if Isobel and everyone else didn't keep making excuses for him and painting him as some sort of victim and good guy. He wasn't either, he bought everything on himself and didn't care about Isobel or anyone else. It was so irritating how Isobel fawned over Varen and risked her life for him and insisted that he was sympathetic and that nothing was his fault, when that wasn't the case. He wasn't some misunderstood little puppy that was seduced by Lilith. He was a prick who knowingly turned to someone evil and then blamed everyone else for his problems and acted hard done by. Yea, I HATED him. I didn't want Isobel to save him, I wanted her to wake up and realise that Varen had done nothing but abuse and hurt her, and that she needed to get far, far away from him. There was no romance between them, just a pathetic-thick twit of a girl desperate for any scraps her narcissistic, murdery, melodramatic boyfriend threw at her. Ugh.
-Why did Isobel keep blaming Lilith for trapping Varen in the dreamworld? Varen was the one who turned to Lilith, he was the one who ignored his loved ones and chose Lilith. Everything that happened to Varen was down to him. Isobel and his family/friends weren't good enough for him, so he turned his back on them and went elsewhere for love. Lilith barely did anything to 'seduce' Varen. The most she did was show Varen that Isobel felt indifferently about him and because of that he had a hissy fit and wrote off Isobel, and then proceeded to punish her without giving her a chance to explain. Well, he did eventually deign to listen to her after she'd risked her life dozens of times and got down on her knees and begged him to hear her side of the story. Ugh, he was despicable. I have no doubt that he'll carry on treating Isobel like rubbish for the rest of their lives.
-There was so many long, boring descriptions and monologues. I wanted more dialogue and interaction between characters, instead there was just a load of Isobel describing her boring thoughts and nonsensical surroundings.
-What was with Madeline at the end? The mystery about her whereabouts and why she walked out on Varen and her husband wasn't even explained. Why didn't she keep in contact with Varen? Why did she cut him out of her life and then go on to have another kid? Did she know Varen wanted to see her? I wanted to know why she pissed off and forgot all about her son, that would have actually been interesting.
All in all, I wasn't impressed. Isobel's POV was so dull and repetitive, and her obsession and desperation for all things Varen was nauseating. Isobel/Varen fans will probably love this though, there's plenty of cheesy romance, drama and angst, but none of it worked for me.
March 11, 2017
“I love you." Isobel said. Because even if the words could not stop what was coming, they were still her first and sole defense.
"I know," Varen surprised her by saying as he turned away. "That's why you're gone.”
Edited@18/07/2016:
One question I must ask myself when reading Oblivion, the finale of the Nevermore trilogy: Why am I feeling so damn happy when the girl is
Once in a while, you found a finale book that does everything right and does the whole series justice; Oblivion by Kelly Creagh, is one of those books.
I'm not saying this book is flawless, in fact the story still has its share of flaws, but the bright spots of the writing, the plots, the atmosphere and the characters successfully outshine those shortcomings.
Edited@11/03/2017:
Note: This review is filled with photo-spamming, and those photos are mostly from Mario Bava's old schooled horror movies because...I like Bava's old schooled stuffs okay?
The story starts off so smoothly and as always, I love the rich dark imaginary in this story, all I can do was to get on with the ride. In this third and final book, Varen sinks even further into depression and there seems to be no hope for Isobel to reach him. When reading this first half of the story, I felt like I was watching the Sailor Moon's episodes and for some twisted reason, I was loving every moment of it. At first Isobel wants to go back to her normal life when things with Varen seems to be hopeless, I mean... But I like when later she realizes the dreamworld is bleeding into reality and there are still many, many unfinished businesses among her, Varen and the demons from the dreamworld, she boldly takes action.
To be honest, Varen would never be my type of guy--a bit too melodramatic, not 'evil' nor frightening enough, I don't mind to befriend him though---and don't get me wrong I don't hate him and he does have his moments.
On the other hand... Pinfeather! This guy endears himself to me through the progress of three books, he becomes such a darling in the latter two books, even with his claws, his mischief and not-so-healthy obsession with Isobel and all.
Outside of the main romance, the torturous longing Scrimshaw, the chief of Poe's monstrous Nocs, has for is also epicly written! It's rare to see authors writing how a monstrous being loves another person deeply, and Ms. Creagh pulls it off beautifully!
Among the characters, it is Gwen I can't quite place, though I like her but her good will and concern toward Isobel always looks a bit too good to be true.
As to the villains, Lilith is still doing okay...but for some reason I don't find her to be as frightening nor outrageous as she had once been in the first book. And...is Lilith supposed to be the Faerie Queen from Poe's poems? I still don't know.
Pre-review:
My goodness, the cover art and the book's title is out!
I can't wait!!!!
Edited@08/09/2015:
The fine line between life and death blurred long ago for Isobel Lanley. After a deadly confrontation with Varen in the dreamworld, she’s terrified to return to that desolate and dangerous place. But when her nightmares resume, bleeding into reality, she is left with no choice. Varen’s darkness is catching up to her. To everything. Threatening to devour it all.
Isobel fears for her world. For her sanity and Varen’s—especially after a fresh and devastating loss. To make matters worse, the ghostly demon Lilith wants Varen for her own, and she will do anything to keep him in her grasp—anything.
Can Isobel ever find her happy ending? Worlds collide and fates are sealed in this breathtaking finale to the Nevermore trilogy.
God damn it, I can't wait!!! T___T
Edited@25/05/2016:
new fanart for the story:
(Link: http://vampirekiki.deviantart.com/art...)
And my new found favorite song also happens to be called 'Oblivion' too. (Link: https://youtu.be/Z0DQxI3KM7o)
August 6, 2015
EDIT 07/09/2012:
Oh. Oh. Oh.
Varen. How could you? How? *bangs head on the wall*
Even though you are , I still have hope that you will be with Isobel at the end.
Please, please let this happen!!! It will make me very sad if Varen doesnt end up with Isobel. :(
Oh. Oh. Oh.
Varen. How could you? How? *bangs head on the wall*
Even though you are , I still have hope that you will be with Isobel at the end.
Please, please let this happen!!! It will make me very sad if Varen doesnt end up with Isobel. :(
April 17, 2024
Hmm, well I'm glad they got their HEA, but there still wasn't enough Varen. Book 2 and 3 can't compare to book 1 and all the amazing Varen moments. This book was basically one long trip through the dream world and it took place over basically a single day. But it never explained what everyone thought happened. After Isobel and Varen came back where did her parents and everyone else think they had gone? They just let it go. Also, this never explained the situation with Varen's mother or why she left, and the epilogue just raised more questions. Would anyone like to explain it to me?
March 10, 2016
Read, 2015.
Rating 3.5
Still love the cover best, but the book was kind of meh. The dream world was great, same for the writing - as usual, but somehow the story felt a bit repetitive. It didn't help that I couldn't connect with the characters anymore. Maybe it's been too long between books, I kinda lost interest *sigh*
----
Update Sept 2013:
Look what I found hidden in my Enshadowed paperback today :D
PS: In this image the cover is black&white ONLY because it's a preview from the book.
As you can see on the blog, the actual cover is fully coloured.
-
March 2013:
No title, no description, no date.. nothing at all?
Life is not fair!! *cries in a corner*
____________________________________________
Blog (EN) | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bloglovin' | Blog (RO)
____________________________________________
Rating 3.5
Still love the cover best, but the book was kind of meh. The dream world was great, same for the writing - as usual, but somehow the story felt a bit repetitive. It didn't help that I couldn't connect with the characters anymore. Maybe it's been too long between books, I kinda lost interest *sigh*
----
Update Sept 2013:
Look what I found hidden in my Enshadowed paperback today :D
PS: In this image the cover is black&white ONLY because it's a preview from the book.
As you can see on the blog, the actual cover is fully coloured.
-
March 2013:
No title, no description, no date.. nothing at all?
Life is not fair!! *cries in a corner*
____________________________________________
Blog (EN) | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | Bloglovin' | Blog (RO)
____________________________________________
September 14, 2025
Not quite the end I had envisioned, but okayyy. I'm very attached so i'll still give it 4 stars. please note that I probably won't be coherent - i have so many mixed emotions. This is likely going to be a raving review.
I still think the first book was the best in the series. Overall, the series is a fairly satisfactory read and is well written. Creagh’s use of Edgar Allen Poe’s works to build a storyworld is so original and fantastically done.I love her attention to detail.
Kelly did a fantastic job on the research. The seemingly small details are so subtly added that if one hasn't read some of poe's biography, they'd never know.
Edgar's death irl is a mystery even now. He was found lying semiconscious near a gutter in Baltimore. and before dying, he kept calling out for someone named Reynolds, a man about whom nobody knows anything.
And. then she used the mystery of Poe Toaster so remarkably to play a crucial role in her story. I'm actually quite amazed.
I also didn't know that Poe has 2 graves. The one in which he was initially buried in was unmarked. His funeral was only of 3 minutes on a gloomy and cold day with only 8-9 people present. He was shifted to the more prominent second grave after he got famous.
As I mentioned before, I felt like the first book was the best in the series. The second book was good and the 3rd was also good, until it wasn't anymore.
PROS
_ The writing style is good
_It is well thought out and researched
_I love everything about Poe. So when Poe made an appearance in the books, I fangirled SO HARD.
_ the use of Edgar Allen Poe’s works to build a storyworld
_Varen (I adore him sm) and Gwen
_POE FINALLY CAME IN THE END AS A SPIRIT IN THE STORYLINE!!!??? (I'm so jealous of Isobel rn- don't look at me like that)
◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭
Cons (sighs..)
_In the very beginning, the writing was so good, almost mellifluent. But then, Isobel started acting funny (not in a good way). I didn't like how her whole world continued to revolve around Varen and Lilith and The Dreamworld. She neglected her family and ignored them. They have a right to be worried and you can't just ignore your own family. I get that she was going through a lot, and I'm glad that Varen had someone looking out for him, but her constant whining got on my nerves- put simply, it was flat-out annoying.
_I WANTED MORE SCENES WITH GWEN ?!!
_The ending felt quite rushed. I expected much more dramatic endings, and a quite menacing form of lilith and much more PERILOUS situations but it felt flat on that angle. But that's okay, ig.
◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭
All in all, the whole series as a whole kept me hooked till the end. I was intrigued. And I actually learned a lot about Poe's life. Kudos to Kreagh for writing such a well researched paranormal series. Although I felt like the 3rd book could've been written in a better way but it was written 10 yrs ago so maybe i'm expecting too much🤷.
🌸🌸SOME THINGS YOU PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE NOTICED HAD I NOT POINTED IT OUT🌸🌸
* In the prologue of this book, Kelly has written about Helen, a poet Poe tried to court after his wife's death- "she pressed her handkerchief to her lips, closed her eyes and inhaled" That seemingly small detail is so accurate- Helen had a heart disease that she used to cure by inhaling ether through her handkerchief.
*The word Tekali-li is not as well know as THE RAVEN or ANNABEL LEE. But Kreagh has actually included that cry. (i liked that wayyy too much XD)
*Have you noticed a connection between the women characters written by Poe- many of them have names starting with 'L' or have quite a bit of focus on 'L' letter in their name- lilith, ligeia, lenore, eleanora, annabel lee, eulalie.... idk if that actually had any meaning or was just on whim...But it was interesting, to say the least.
Objectively, not for everyone. But perfect for fans of Edgar allan poe's works- You'll have so much fun in finding out the subtle references to Poe's works (maybe i missed some) . There will be time when you are frustated with the characters or feel that the plot is not progressing in a way you'd have liked it to. But this was def worth my time.
I still think the first book was the best in the series. Overall, the series is a fairly satisfactory read and is well written. Creagh’s use of Edgar Allen Poe’s works to build a storyworld is so original and fantastically done.I love her attention to detail.
Kelly did a fantastic job on the research. The seemingly small details are so subtly added that if one hasn't read some of poe's biography, they'd never know.
Edgar's death irl is a mystery even now. He was found lying semiconscious near a gutter in Baltimore. and before dying, he kept calling out for someone named Reynolds, a man about whom nobody knows anything.
And. then she used the mystery of Poe Toaster so remarkably to play a crucial role in her story. I'm actually quite amazed.
I also didn't know that Poe has 2 graves. The one in which he was initially buried in was unmarked. His funeral was only of 3 minutes on a gloomy and cold day with only 8-9 people present. He was shifted to the more prominent second grave after he got famous.
As I mentioned before, I felt like the first book was the best in the series. The second book was good and the 3rd was also good, until it wasn't anymore.
PROS
_ The writing style is good
_It is well thought out and researched
_I love everything about Poe. So when Poe made an appearance in the books, I fangirled SO HARD.
_ the use of Edgar Allen Poe’s works to build a storyworld
_Varen (I adore him sm) and Gwen
_POE FINALLY CAME IN THE END AS A SPIRIT IN THE STORYLINE!!!??? (I'm so jealous of Isobel rn- don't look at me like that)
◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭
Cons (sighs..)
_In the very beginning, the writing was so good, almost mellifluent. But then, Isobel started acting funny (not in a good way). I didn't like how her whole world continued to revolve around Varen and Lilith and The Dreamworld. She neglected her family and ignored them. They have a right to be worried and you can't just ignore your own family. I get that she was going through a lot, and I'm glad that Varen had someone looking out for him, but her constant whining got on my nerves- put simply, it was flat-out annoying.
_I WANTED MORE SCENES WITH GWEN ?!!
_The ending felt quite rushed. I expected much more dramatic endings, and a quite menacing form of lilith and much more PERILOUS situations but it felt flat on that angle. But that's okay, ig.
◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭◭
All in all, the whole series as a whole kept me hooked till the end. I was intrigued. And I actually learned a lot about Poe's life. Kudos to Kreagh for writing such a well researched paranormal series. Although I felt like the 3rd book could've been written in a better way but it was written 10 yrs ago so maybe i'm expecting too much🤷.
🌸🌸SOME THINGS YOU PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE NOTICED HAD I NOT POINTED IT OUT🌸🌸
* In the prologue of this book, Kelly has written about Helen, a poet Poe tried to court after his wife's death- "she pressed her handkerchief to her lips, closed her eyes and inhaled" That seemingly small detail is so accurate- Helen had a heart disease that she used to cure by inhaling ether through her handkerchief.
*The word Tekali-li is not as well know as THE RAVEN or ANNABEL LEE. But Kreagh has actually included that cry. (i liked that wayyy too much XD)
*Have you noticed a connection between the women characters written by Poe- many of them have names starting with 'L' or have quite a bit of focus on 'L' letter in their name- lilith, ligeia, lenore, eleanora, annabel lee, eulalie.... idk if that actually had any meaning or was just on whim...But it was interesting, to say the least.
Objectively, not for everyone. But perfect for fans of Edgar allan poe's works- You'll have so much fun in finding out the subtle references to Poe's works (maybe i missed some) . There will be time when you are frustated with the characters or feel that the plot is not progressing in a way you'd have liked it to. But this was def worth my time.
April 30, 2015
Fantastic. Stunning. Exceptional. Five stars. Review to come.
July 29, 2015
I feel like I've waited an eternity for this book. I read Nevermore shortly after its publication, and I suffered through the push back of Enshadowed's publication. Then, I was crazy disappointed when Oblivion's publication date was pushed back not once but two times. The horror! All that to say, this conclusion has been a long time coming, and I'm thankful to report that it was worth the wait!
I was a little disappointed with Enshadowed in that it was nothing like what I was expecting. There was hardly any Varen at all, and for me, the book was only saved by my love for Isobel, who is one of my favorite YA heroines. I went into Oblivion unsure how Kelly Creagh was going to bring everything full circle, and I'm so happy that this book was much stronger than the second one.
Typically, I don't like books that have a very short timeframe, but Oblivion takes place over a 24-hour period. Yup. This 400+ page book is just ONE DAY. But it never felt slow; the plot didn't drag, and Creagh maintained my interest throughout. The writing is really beautiful, and the story is incredibly atmospheric. The dreamworld is just as spooky and confusing and intriguing as it has been, but the stakes are higher and the tension continues to grow throughout.
But I've got to say my favorite part of the book was the relationship between Isobel and Varen. I ship this ship freakin' hardcore, y'all. Their chemistry is spot on, and the moment of their true reunion gave me ALL THE EMOTIONS! My heart basically exploded with fangirl feels.
Bottom line: I loved this finale to what is one of my favorite YA paranormal series. While I think it could have been condensed into a duology (there seemed to be a lot of superfluous material in that second book, in particular), I think I ended up being more emotionally invested in Isobel and Varen's relationship because it was so drawn out and the time between their interactions so long. So while it took some pushing through hundreds of pages in which they're apart, their inevitable reunion was totally worth it.
I was a little disappointed with Enshadowed in that it was nothing like what I was expecting. There was hardly any Varen at all, and for me, the book was only saved by my love for Isobel, who is one of my favorite YA heroines. I went into Oblivion unsure how Kelly Creagh was going to bring everything full circle, and I'm so happy that this book was much stronger than the second one.
Typically, I don't like books that have a very short timeframe, but Oblivion takes place over a 24-hour period. Yup. This 400+ page book is just ONE DAY. But it never felt slow; the plot didn't drag, and Creagh maintained my interest throughout. The writing is really beautiful, and the story is incredibly atmospheric. The dreamworld is just as spooky and confusing and intriguing as it has been, but the stakes are higher and the tension continues to grow throughout.
But I've got to say my favorite part of the book was the relationship between Isobel and Varen. I ship this ship freakin' hardcore, y'all. Their chemistry is spot on, and the moment of their true reunion gave me ALL THE EMOTIONS! My heart basically exploded with fangirl feels.
Bottom line: I loved this finale to what is one of my favorite YA paranormal series. While I think it could have been condensed into a duology (there seemed to be a lot of superfluous material in that second book, in particular), I think I ended up being more emotionally invested in Isobel and Varen's relationship because it was so drawn out and the time between their interactions so long. So while it took some pushing through hundreds of pages in which they're apart, their inevitable reunion was totally worth it.
July 28, 2015
I truly have enjoyed this trilogy from the very start. It's dark Edgar Allen Poe feel was hard to resist and with each new installment, the writing grew darker, more serious, and even more beautiful.
So it was with slight trepidation that I went into this last book. Wanting to know how it would all end, keeping my fingers crossed for the best and hoping the author would stick true to the tone of the rest of the books.
And she did. Once again Creagh painted a beautifully dark world. One where Isobel is struggling to break, conquer, and to rescue her love from.
Varen didn't play a huge role in this like the others, instead, we get Isobel, battered, bruised, confused, and in danger now, more than ever. But we also see a stronger, fiercer, more assertive girl appear. One who is no longer the weak cheerleader of book one, nor the more passive girl from book two.
She is determined, on a mission, and not afraid of any of the consequences and I loved how much her character grew not only in this last installment, but in the whole series.
Everything came together so nicely, so beautifully done, and I loved every minute of it. Creagh didn't leave anything undone or unanswered and while not everyone got a happily ever after, I was so pleased with the way it all came about. Truly, a great ending to this unique story.
*An ARC Copy of this was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
So it was with slight trepidation that I went into this last book. Wanting to know how it would all end, keeping my fingers crossed for the best and hoping the author would stick true to the tone of the rest of the books.
And she did. Once again Creagh painted a beautifully dark world. One where Isobel is struggling to break, conquer, and to rescue her love from.
Varen didn't play a huge role in this like the others, instead, we get Isobel, battered, bruised, confused, and in danger now, more than ever. But we also see a stronger, fiercer, more assertive girl appear. One who is no longer the weak cheerleader of book one, nor the more passive girl from book two.
She is determined, on a mission, and not afraid of any of the consequences and I loved how much her character grew not only in this last installment, but in the whole series.
Everything came together so nicely, so beautifully done, and I loved every minute of it. Creagh didn't leave anything undone or unanswered and while not everyone got a happily ever after, I was so pleased with the way it all came about. Truly, a great ending to this unique story.
*An ARC Copy of this was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
August 1, 2015
3.5 stars
Nevermore was the first book I ever pre-ordered. That's enough to make me incredibly nostalgic about the ending of this series, but the truth is that, in spite of my constant frustrations with these books, I do love them dearly. My 3-star rating for each and every single installment in this trilogy is quite deceptive, because while I felt compelled to award them that rating based on the quality of the content, the truth is that these books burrowed their way into the core of my being. For 5 years (a bit more if I consider the months I spent in anticipation of the first novel once it was announced), I've been connected to this trilogy, one of the very first series I stuck to, and you don't stay with a series for 5 years without developing a very strong bond with it, regardless of how you felt for each book individually.
It would be very easy for me to just attribute this to Poe, and in some ways, it wouldn't be a lie, but that would be a discredit to Kelly Creagh. I may not have always agreed with her plot choices, with her characterizations or the pacing of the story, but it would be a disservice to her quality as a writer to not recognize what she achieved with this series. Nevermore is one of the most original and inspired YA series I've ever read. Through each and every one of the books, you could feel Creagh's commitment to the series, to the story, to her tribute to Edgar Allan Poe's works. You could tell that Creagh really loves Poe and worked very, very hard to make his works proud. That's something that I always appreciated and respected, something that made an impact and a difference in my reading experience throughout all these years.
Oblivion brings to a close Isobel and Varen's story. Similar in format to Enshadowed, Oblivion has Isobel coming back and forth between the realms and interacting with its twisted denizens, while trying to keep her sanity in the real world. In fact, Oblivion is pretty similar to Enshadowed, the only difference between them being the finality of each action in Oblivion as opposed to them in Enshadowed. Oblivion's biggest problem, however, its how repetitive it is. There's no reason for this novel to have such a hefty quantity of pages as more of its bulk is spent on Isobel having the same conversations over and over, doing the same things, failing and then coming back for more, and the constant dwelling on Varen's broken sense of reality. I'm pretty certain Reynolds had the exact same conversation with Isobel in about 4 different occasions - different words, same message -, and still we had to go through the same thing over and over. Varen and Isobel's encounters, in particular, were also repetitive to the point of exasperation.
I understand the pressing need for making sure the audience finally understands the thread that connects all three books, that they see how it all comes together and finally get a grasp on this mysterious world, but really, it was frustrating to see Isobel in the exact same actions, having the same conversations, and all within a handful of pages in between each other. Had it not been like this, I'm pretty certain my rating would've been higher because I liked everything else about the novel.
I liked what was made of the characters, I liked how Poe's life was finally connected firmly to this, and I did admittedly like how it all came to a close. I finally felt like I could understand Varen and Isobel's connection and those two finally turned into realistic characters for me. All throughout this series I had struggled with Varen and Isobel's characterizations. It always seemed to me like their character depth had been swallowed by the ambition behind the plot, the expansiveness of the world and the connections with Poe's works, but, ironically, it is here, amidst the heaviest, most complicated parts of the story as it draws to a close, that they finally came alive for me, that I was able to see different dimensions to them and was able to appreciate them better, particularly Isobel, to whom I never gave much credit until this book.
Admittedly, the writing in this book wasn't always the best. I struggled with some lines, and sometimes, descriptions were so wordy and went on for so long, that it was hard to keep my attention focused on the novel and it also decelerated the pace of the novel. Once the climax finally rolled around, however, the novel took off and gave me a surprisingly entertaining and engaging last 100 pages or so. Moreover, it actually had me trying to understand where all these feelings were coming from. I didn't expect this book to make any sort of emotional impact on me. I'd bought the deception of my own 3-star ratings and forgotten how connected I was to this series. But the truth is that I did feel the impact of the end, of saying good-bye to these characters forever and finally realizing that I was never coming back to this world. The resolution came about a bit too easily, but I legitimately enjoyed the ending and really liked how Creagh decided to close the book.
So this is the end of an era for me and for many other readers here as well. It takes a special sort of series to make so many people stick around for so long. Nevermore is a pretty authentic, unique and special series. It's not perfect, but there was something really fascinating about it, something riveting and awe-inspiring that kept me coming back, in spite of my many reservations about the series. I never expected it to be this hard to say good-bye, but here we are. I think Creagh definitely earned me saying this: Ms. Creagh, you have done Mr. Poe good and written what's probably the best Poe inspired YA series out there. Until next time.
Nevermore was the first book I ever pre-ordered. That's enough to make me incredibly nostalgic about the ending of this series, but the truth is that, in spite of my constant frustrations with these books, I do love them dearly. My 3-star rating for each and every single installment in this trilogy is quite deceptive, because while I felt compelled to award them that rating based on the quality of the content, the truth is that these books burrowed their way into the core of my being. For 5 years (a bit more if I consider the months I spent in anticipation of the first novel once it was announced), I've been connected to this trilogy, one of the very first series I stuck to, and you don't stay with a series for 5 years without developing a very strong bond with it, regardless of how you felt for each book individually.
It would be very easy for me to just attribute this to Poe, and in some ways, it wouldn't be a lie, but that would be a discredit to Kelly Creagh. I may not have always agreed with her plot choices, with her characterizations or the pacing of the story, but it would be a disservice to her quality as a writer to not recognize what she achieved with this series. Nevermore is one of the most original and inspired YA series I've ever read. Through each and every one of the books, you could feel Creagh's commitment to the series, to the story, to her tribute to Edgar Allan Poe's works. You could tell that Creagh really loves Poe and worked very, very hard to make his works proud. That's something that I always appreciated and respected, something that made an impact and a difference in my reading experience throughout all these years.
Oblivion brings to a close Isobel and Varen's story. Similar in format to Enshadowed, Oblivion has Isobel coming back and forth between the realms and interacting with its twisted denizens, while trying to keep her sanity in the real world. In fact, Oblivion is pretty similar to Enshadowed, the only difference between them being the finality of each action in Oblivion as opposed to them in Enshadowed. Oblivion's biggest problem, however, its how repetitive it is. There's no reason for this novel to have such a hefty quantity of pages as more of its bulk is spent on Isobel having the same conversations over and over, doing the same things, failing and then coming back for more, and the constant dwelling on Varen's broken sense of reality. I'm pretty certain Reynolds had the exact same conversation with Isobel in about 4 different occasions - different words, same message -, and still we had to go through the same thing over and over. Varen and Isobel's encounters, in particular, were also repetitive to the point of exasperation.
I understand the pressing need for making sure the audience finally understands the thread that connects all three books, that they see how it all comes together and finally get a grasp on this mysterious world, but really, it was frustrating to see Isobel in the exact same actions, having the same conversations, and all within a handful of pages in between each other. Had it not been like this, I'm pretty certain my rating would've been higher because I liked everything else about the novel.
I liked what was made of the characters, I liked how Poe's life was finally connected firmly to this, and I did admittedly like how it all came to a close. I finally felt like I could understand Varen and Isobel's connection and those two finally turned into realistic characters for me. All throughout this series I had struggled with Varen and Isobel's characterizations. It always seemed to me like their character depth had been swallowed by the ambition behind the plot, the expansiveness of the world and the connections with Poe's works, but, ironically, it is here, amidst the heaviest, most complicated parts of the story as it draws to a close, that they finally came alive for me, that I was able to see different dimensions to them and was able to appreciate them better, particularly Isobel, to whom I never gave much credit until this book.
Admittedly, the writing in this book wasn't always the best. I struggled with some lines, and sometimes, descriptions were so wordy and went on for so long, that it was hard to keep my attention focused on the novel and it also decelerated the pace of the novel. Once the climax finally rolled around, however, the novel took off and gave me a surprisingly entertaining and engaging last 100 pages or so. Moreover, it actually had me trying to understand where all these feelings were coming from. I didn't expect this book to make any sort of emotional impact on me. I'd bought the deception of my own 3-star ratings and forgotten how connected I was to this series. But the truth is that I did feel the impact of the end, of saying good-bye to these characters forever and finally realizing that I was never coming back to this world. The resolution came about a bit too easily, but I legitimately enjoyed the ending and really liked how Creagh decided to close the book.
So this is the end of an era for me and for many other readers here as well. It takes a special sort of series to make so many people stick around for so long. Nevermore is a pretty authentic, unique and special series. It's not perfect, but there was something really fascinating about it, something riveting and awe-inspiring that kept me coming back, in spite of my many reservations about the series. I never expected it to be this hard to say good-bye, but here we are. I think Creagh definitely earned me saying this: Ms. Creagh, you have done Mr. Poe good and written what's probably the best Poe inspired YA series out there. Until next time.
February 1, 2016
Well the main reason I finished the series was because I enjoyed book 1.I grew attached to the characters and storyline. The cover for this book is the best in the 3.I like the epilogue but I think it was way too similar to book 2 which I enjoyed even less.It took so long for Varen to finally be good!!! Aghhhhhh! And the thing is that he was bad throughout the prequel. Hmp.There was also too much dream world. I wanted reality like book 1.Anyway Isobel is a bit stupid for putting her life in danger again and again.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!!!!
The good stuff
-Isobel does not whine as much as book 2
-Isobel does not give up on Varen
-The world building is beautiful
-Varen gets blond hair and keeps his lip ring
-There is a satisfying ending
Not so cool..
-The books is 75% in the dream world
-Varen and Isobel barely spend any alone time together
-Its a bit confusing
-Varen is bad for most of the book.
-Varen is not enough in the book!!!!
However I am sad to leave behind these characters after so many years. I grew to love this world an the characters I can recommend it if you like dream worlds, Monsters and cute goth guys.
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!!!!
The good stuff
-Isobel does not whine as much as book 2
-Isobel does not give up on Varen
-The world building is beautiful
-Varen gets blond hair and keeps his lip ring
-There is a satisfying ending
Not so cool..
-The books is 75% in the dream world
-Varen and Isobel barely spend any alone time together
-Its a bit confusing
-Varen is bad for most of the book.
-Varen is not enough in the book!!!!
However I am sad to leave behind these characters after so many years. I grew to love this world an the characters I can recommend it if you like dream worlds, Monsters and cute goth guys.
Read
May 7, 2017edit 8/10/14: Really? No, REALLY??! We're at July 2015 now? I get the fact that she wants to write a good book, but damn. This better be one heck of an end to this story for us to have to -keep- waiting yet again. Honestly, I almost feel like giving up on this series just because it's been so long... *headdesk*
edit 8/14/13: I knew the 2013 expectation was too good to be true.
Summer 2014. Really?
So many bitter tears rn ;A;
All I can say is please just let that "2013" publication stand... I don't know if I can stand another wait like we had for Enshadowed. T_T
June 5, 2015
Oblivion was a lot to take in. A lot! The stakes are definitely the highest they'd ever been and lives could be lost forever. But damn, I loved it all. The action, the darkness, the romance, everything!
I don't want to give too much away, which is kind of hard... so I can't say too much about the story accept that I love Isobel. As far as YA heroines go, she's the shit. She used to be a cheerleader, which seems like ages ago. But she changed a lot since she fell for Varen, lost Varen and she still isn't ready to give up on him. Go her!
I can't say much about Varen. No spoilers allowed here! But I can say that it takes a while for him to really come back into it. Personally I thought it took a little too long because he wasn't really into the previous book much either. And the book was pretty long in itself so it was a bit of a struggle to finish it. And I have to say that once Varen came into it again, it started picking up. The scenes with him and Isobel reunited were everything I hoped for, though. I love them together sooo much.
As for the secondary characters... Gwen was still so awesome. I love that girl. She's like a bright light in the midst of the darkness that Isobel is in with worrying about Varen. Reynolds was there too. It's no secret that I like him a lot. He's so mysterious and you don't quite know if he's on Isobel or Lilith's side. Even in this book I had a lot of doubts and a lot of "Damn it, Reynolds" feelings. And Lilith? Well, she scared the crap out of me. Some scenes involving her actually gave me goosebumps. I'm so going to have nightmares about that demon.
As always I loved Kelly Creagh's writing. She always writes so beautifully and almost poetically. I'm a huge fan of writing styles like that. Her words gave me chills at times and that's a real talent right there. I can't wait to read more books by her.
Overall, the conclusion to the Nevermore trilogy was in one word: epic! Maybe a bit too long and drawn out but in the end I loved it and I will miss all these characters so much. It definitely was a thrilling ride!
I don't want to give too much away, which is kind of hard... so I can't say too much about the story accept that I love Isobel. As far as YA heroines go, she's the shit. She used to be a cheerleader, which seems like ages ago. But she changed a lot since she fell for Varen, lost Varen and she still isn't ready to give up on him. Go her!
I can't say much about Varen. No spoilers allowed here! But I can say that it takes a while for him to really come back into it. Personally I thought it took a little too long because he wasn't really into the previous book much either. And the book was pretty long in itself so it was a bit of a struggle to finish it. And I have to say that once Varen came into it again, it started picking up. The scenes with him and Isobel reunited were everything I hoped for, though. I love them together sooo much.
As for the secondary characters... Gwen was still so awesome. I love that girl. She's like a bright light in the midst of the darkness that Isobel is in with worrying about Varen. Reynolds was there too. It's no secret that I like him a lot. He's so mysterious and you don't quite know if he's on Isobel or Lilith's side. Even in this book I had a lot of doubts and a lot of "Damn it, Reynolds" feelings. And Lilith? Well, she scared the crap out of me. Some scenes involving her actually gave me goosebumps. I'm so going to have nightmares about that demon.
As always I loved Kelly Creagh's writing. She always writes so beautifully and almost poetically. I'm a huge fan of writing styles like that. Her words gave me chills at times and that's a real talent right there. I can't wait to read more books by her.
Overall, the conclusion to the Nevermore trilogy was in one word: epic! Maybe a bit too long and drawn out but in the end I loved it and I will miss all these characters so much. It definitely was a thrilling ride!
May 1, 2015
Dear Varen, once upon a time you were one of my favorite boys, and now I expel your weeny whiny goth ass out of my fictional harem!
Recommendation for all of my GR friends:
If you want to read a perfect dark paranormal romance YA book, you must read Nevermore, first book in this series, but please, save yourselves from waste of your time and some headaches caused by serious dose of stupidity, and do not continue reading this series.
Recommendation for all of my GR friends:
If you want to read a perfect dark paranormal romance YA book, you must read Nevermore, first book in this series, but please, save yourselves from waste of your time and some headaches caused by serious dose of stupidity, and do not continue reading this series.
September 4, 2015
Original Review found at: www.awesomebooknut.com
I have been waiting for this book for YEARS!!! I read the first book Nevermore when it first came out!!!!!! Nevermore is STILL on my most favorites list. The second book Enshadowed was a bit of a disappointment as I felt that the whole book was about rehashing what happened in the first book. It was only the ENDING that made it worth reading and it killed me when I read that ending. AAAH that ending….
Book three the FINAL book in this trilogy is finally here. Throughout the whole last book, Kelly Creagh stayed true to her imagination that is dark and haunting. Yet, beautiful in her writing style and creativity.
I am absolutely in love with the dynamics between Varen and Isobel. You have polar opposites who were able to see and reach beyond the surface and find each other.
I love the tragic side of Varen and how he coped with life throw dark tales of Edgar Allen Poe which brought about the adventure of all three books.
I love the character development of Isobel throughout the series where nothing became more important to her than getting Varen back.
The dark and twisted tale that brought about the separation of these two was utterly brilliant and in book three we continue to see how far one can fall and how hard it is to come back from a deep dark place. There is more to the story than meets the eye. I enjoyed the aspect of Edgar Allen Poe’s stories brought to life and how dark and twisted they can be. I enjoyed the modern take that is weaved throughout the story.
I enjoyed learning more about certain characters and the 2 sides which mirrors another character in the book. It was fascinating. I loved it and even felt sorry for it. Brilliant.
However I must admit that even in this last book it got a little redundant in the fact that I felt I was just going in circles and I just wanted it to end! I wanted a happily ever after and instead I got 448 pages of ring-around-the -dark-twisted-rosy.
I was very pleased and satisfied with the ending. I can’t wait to own this third book and reread them. But the first book, Nevermore, will still be-in my opinion-the best of all. I look forward to more from this author.
Sexual Content: mild
Violence: moderate (dark, a little creepy at times with characters)
Language: mild
Drugs/Alcohol: none
I have been waiting for this book for YEARS!!! I read the first book Nevermore when it first came out!!!!!! Nevermore is STILL on my most favorites list. The second book Enshadowed was a bit of a disappointment as I felt that the whole book was about rehashing what happened in the first book. It was only the ENDING that made it worth reading and it killed me when I read that ending. AAAH that ending….
Book three the FINAL book in this trilogy is finally here. Throughout the whole last book, Kelly Creagh stayed true to her imagination that is dark and haunting. Yet, beautiful in her writing style and creativity.
I am absolutely in love with the dynamics between Varen and Isobel. You have polar opposites who were able to see and reach beyond the surface and find each other.
I love the tragic side of Varen and how he coped with life throw dark tales of Edgar Allen Poe which brought about the adventure of all three books.
I love the character development of Isobel throughout the series where nothing became more important to her than getting Varen back.
The dark and twisted tale that brought about the separation of these two was utterly brilliant and in book three we continue to see how far one can fall and how hard it is to come back from a deep dark place. There is more to the story than meets the eye. I enjoyed the aspect of Edgar Allen Poe’s stories brought to life and how dark and twisted they can be. I enjoyed the modern take that is weaved throughout the story.
I enjoyed learning more about certain characters and the 2 sides which mirrors another character in the book. It was fascinating. I loved it and even felt sorry for it. Brilliant.
However I must admit that even in this last book it got a little redundant in the fact that I felt I was just going in circles and I just wanted it to end! I wanted a happily ever after and instead I got 448 pages of ring-around-the -dark-twisted-rosy.
I was very pleased and satisfied with the ending. I can’t wait to own this third book and reread them. But the first book, Nevermore, will still be-in my opinion-the best of all. I look forward to more from this author.
Sexual Content: mild
Violence: moderate (dark, a little creepy at times with characters)
Language: mild
Drugs/Alcohol: none
December 15, 2015
"Tell me truly, girl. Do you not ever tire of running?" he asked. "Do you never grow faint from the sickness, the pitiless pain—the fever that is living? From the horrible, horrible, throbbing of of your own aching heart?"
"No," she said at last, "at least, not nearly as tired as I get from listening to you."
Erm, well, this was okay, I guess. It was a bit overwritten and tended to be nonsensical in a way that reminded me of Alice in Wonderland-type stories and why I don't like them.
There wasn't enough dialogue in this book. Mainly it was Isobel's internal struggles and descriptions of the dreamworld which, as I said, were nonsensical. I had no idea what was happening half the time.
Varen and Isobel's relationship didn't seem all that strong in this book. It all came from her, nothing from him. I guess the story is supposed to ride on the strength of their earlier relationship, which wasn't very much, considering they only kissed a handful of times and he still doesn't trust her not to be a shitty person.
"I guess that's the one perk of loving a dead girl. She never changes.
2.5 stars
Here's my Lilith... image may be disturbing for some, so I spoiler-tagged it.
And here's a less disturbing one for those who don't want to click!
Via DeviantArt.
July 18, 2015
This was phenomenal. This entire series has been a bit of a slow burn, but all of the build up in the previous books was well worth it.
I've loved Isobel from the beginning. She's grown as a person, but her loyalty and love for Varen has never ever wavered. And I absolutely love that the girl MC was the stronger one and saved the boy instead of the other way around.
I won't go into details because I don't want to ruin anything, but I will say this book had everything. There were laughs and swoons and some heartbreaking scenes. Above all, we got answers. I couldn't have asked for anything better.
**Huge thanks to Atheneum Books and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
I've loved Isobel from the beginning. She's grown as a person, but her loyalty and love for Varen has never ever wavered. And I absolutely love that the girl MC was the stronger one and saved the boy instead of the other way around.
I won't go into details because I don't want to ruin anything, but I will say this book had everything. There were laughs and swoons and some heartbreaking scenes. Above all, we got answers. I couldn't have asked for anything better.
**Huge thanks to Atheneum Books and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
April 29, 2025
You know what? I'm feeling generous, 3 stars
It's too long and doesn't make sense but the epilogue has a really good moment where Varen seems to overcome his mommy issues so I'll give it some extra credit.
It's too long and doesn't make sense but the epilogue has a really good moment where Varen seems to overcome his mommy issues so I'll give it some extra credit.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to read
October 31, 2013OMG come out sooner please dear Lordy above.... 2014???!!!!!! UGH DANGGIT KELLY THIS HAD BETTER BE THE BEST BOOK I HAVE EVER READ. i think... That isobel will give up on Varen and be put in a mental institution, and while she is there Varen will visit her in the mirrors and reach out to he and everything and she will think she is actually slowly creeping closer to insanity and Varen will be like OMG no i luv u and try to escape from his dreamworld and end up killing Lilith forever and the dreamworld will disappear and Varen will start a new journal and escape from the dying dreamworld through it and come to isobel and isobel will be like no i dont luv you no more even though she really does and she won't believe he is real and then he will kiss her and after their make out session her parents will have a random thought come to them that goes something like "hey lets go see if isobel is mentally sane again!" And she will be released and Varen will walk her out to her car where mr and mrs lanely plus Danny and Gwen are waiting and mr lanely will be all i do not think so!! Get away from my daughter! And try to fight Varen but somehow they will be able to stand eachother enough for a ride home (Kelly i will leave you to figure this part out) and then they will all be in the car in the backseat and Varen and isobel will be cuddling it up when Gwen reaches across Danny to isobel a recipe for vegetarian lasagna with cottage cheese instead of ricotta and mushrooms with garlic bread on the side and baklava on the back of the paper and isobel will be like "i cant cook" and look up at Varen (turning in his arms and her seat, of course), and he will be like i got it but say it more 'varen' than that and she will reach up and kiss him and then the book will end and there will be a 25 paged epilogue that is all about Varen and isobel after they are married with their 3 blonde haired green eyed children and Gwen will be their next door neighbor married to mikey or something and then yeah it will end my favorite series of all time. Now this probably will NOT be the summary of the third book in the very least, but hey, at least i have high expectations. But seriously Kelly, write faster. Jesus. 2014, i wait for you longingly
Want to read
July 21, 2014Update July 2014:
July?! 2015?!?!?!?!?
COVER!
I have waited so long for this book. The first book came out in, like, 2010, and the second one in 2012,and now I he to wait until 2014 for this one??
But now there's a cover and a title, so that is a step! They can't postpone the date much longer, or readers will revolt.
Or at least I will. So it better not get pushed back any farther.
Publisher, you have been warned.
July?! 2015?!?!?!?!?
COVER!
I have waited so long for this book. The first book came out in, like, 2010, and the second one in 2012,and now I he to wait until 2014 for this one??
But now there's a cover and a title, so that is a step! They can't postpone the date much longer, or readers will revolt.
Or at least I will. So it better not get pushed back any farther.
Publisher, you have been warned.
January 9, 2020
This is what happens when the first book of your trilogy sets the bar too high. The originality & treatment of the subject matter in Nevermore was so creative & beautifully written, full of mystery & lovely gothic imagery & sprinkled with luscious Poe lore. It's one of my favorite YA books -- not to mention one of my fave UF books, period.
Glimmers of that brilliance survived the mediocre offering that was book 2. But overall, this pales in comparison to the original. Much of what made Nevermore work is buried beneath the reliance on Super Dream Ninja Action** & Isobel's search for Varen. Rarely do I wish MCs would spend more time together (seriously, I hate joined-at-the-hip romances), but their interactions in #1 made that book special. The slow pace & delicate insertion of supernatural into everyday life were other important ingredients to that book's successful recipe, whereas Oblivion grabs you by the neck & whirls you through supernatural mayhem until you're begging for mercy.
This book continues the emo deflation of Isobel, who seems to have the same conversations over & over. Only so many times can I hear about Varen's irredeemable turn or speculate on Reynolds' motives. The initial dream imagery (particularly where the school first blends into the otherworld) & the trip through Varen's mental attic were exceptions to the repetitive muddle, while the scenes between Isobel & her brother felt natural & sweet -- and, of course, the Nocs also stood out. (PINFEATHERS! Vile, Villainous Scrimshaw!) But the closure made no sense whatsoever. I'm still not sure WTF happened. And then there's the HEA finale...so what fixes their problems, exactly? We're not shown the transition or even an explanation. It just happens out of the blue, like the author had to force an ending that wasn't natural to the storyline.
Oh well. *shrug* I'm glad this saga is finally closed, even if the curtain fall doesn't do justice to the opening act.
**My term, not the author's.
UPDATE: I've since donated this to Goodwill, but I'm leaving the essence of my review intact. I just can't do YA anymore & aside from a very small handful of permanent keepers, I'm continuing to weed those that survived the previous cullings.
Glimmers of that brilliance survived the mediocre offering that was book 2. But overall, this pales in comparison to the original. Much of what made Nevermore work is buried beneath the reliance on Super Dream Ninja Action** & Isobel's search for Varen. Rarely do I wish MCs would spend more time together (seriously, I hate joined-at-the-hip romances), but their interactions in #1 made that book special. The slow pace & delicate insertion of supernatural into everyday life were other important ingredients to that book's successful recipe, whereas Oblivion grabs you by the neck & whirls you through supernatural mayhem until you're begging for mercy.
This book continues the emo deflation of Isobel, who seems to have the same conversations over & over. Only so many times can I hear about Varen's irredeemable turn or speculate on Reynolds' motives. The initial dream imagery (particularly where the school first blends into the otherworld) & the trip through Varen's mental attic were exceptions to the repetitive muddle, while the scenes between Isobel & her brother felt natural & sweet -- and, of course, the Nocs also stood out. (PINFEATHERS! Vile, Villainous Scrimshaw!) But the closure made no sense whatsoever. I'm still not sure WTF happened. And then there's the HEA finale...so what fixes their problems, exactly? We're not shown the transition or even an explanation. It just happens out of the blue, like the author had to force an ending that wasn't natural to the storyline.
Oh well. *shrug* I'm glad this saga is finally closed, even if the curtain fall doesn't do justice to the opening act.
**My term, not the author's.
UPDATE: I've since donated this to Goodwill, but I'm leaving the essence of my review intact. I just can't do YA anymore & aside from a very small handful of permanent keepers, I'm continuing to weed those that survived the previous cullings.
October 25, 2017
Oblivion by Kelly Creagh was a dark, twisted, must-read YA novel.
I'm heart broken because I'm pretty sure this novel was the finale of this series. While I hope Kelly Creagh continues this universe on into more books, I highly doubt she will due to the way the story ended. There were still many questions left to be answered, and there were still many moments readers wanted to and probably will never see.
I wanted way more of Varen in this book. Everyone I spoke to about this book (within my friend circle) all complained about the lack of Varen - and this didn't get cleared up in this novel. He was a major part of this story, and he was just lacking. I adore his characters, and he's one of my top YA male characters out there - he's different, not your normal romantic interest, and he's darker than the average character. So I loved him, and my heart was left to be shattered.
Kelly Creagh's writing is memorizing, and I demand more novels by her!! She's one of the few authors that can write in such a dark tone and yet be incredibly addicting. She's not scary, she's alluring with her writing!!
Her take on Edgar Allen Poe's story is a great adaption. While seeing every fairy tale be retold over and over, I liked seeing a take on another great work. His dark poems were woven perfectly into this trilogy and novels, and I highly suggest people pick it up!!! Kelly deserves the support!!
Overall, I loved this series. It's sad to see this series end, but the bittersweet feelings will go away when I see another fantastic title by Kelly Creagh end up on book shelves.
Five out of five stars.
I'm heart broken because I'm pretty sure this novel was the finale of this series. While I hope Kelly Creagh continues this universe on into more books, I highly doubt she will due to the way the story ended. There were still many questions left to be answered, and there were still many moments readers wanted to and probably will never see.
I wanted way more of Varen in this book. Everyone I spoke to about this book (within my friend circle) all complained about the lack of Varen - and this didn't get cleared up in this novel. He was a major part of this story, and he was just lacking. I adore his characters, and he's one of my top YA male characters out there - he's different, not your normal romantic interest, and he's darker than the average character. So I loved him, and my heart was left to be shattered.
Kelly Creagh's writing is memorizing, and I demand more novels by her!! She's one of the few authors that can write in such a dark tone and yet be incredibly addicting. She's not scary, she's alluring with her writing!!
Her take on Edgar Allen Poe's story is a great adaption. While seeing every fairy tale be retold over and over, I liked seeing a take on another great work. His dark poems were woven perfectly into this trilogy and novels, and I highly suggest people pick it up!!! Kelly deserves the support!!
Overall, I loved this series. It's sad to see this series end, but the bittersweet feelings will go away when I see another fantastic title by Kelly Creagh end up on book shelves.
Five out of five stars.
March 9, 2015
WOW...just ..WOW.. This book did not disappoint me, it was everything I expected it to be and now that I´ve finished this series I can say I just truly miss Varen and Isobel. They're both just simply perfect for each other. It still remains my favorite book series since the day I stumbled upon it here on Goodreads, it was the first book I read after some very popular books/turned into movies and I was looking for something different, this was it, and still to this day I can say I'll be re-reading this series and it just makes me wish there were even more books just to get more glimpses of Varen and Isobel's relationship and world.
I'll finish just by telling everyone to give this book and series a chance and I hope you all like it as much as I do.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11/25/2014
FINALLY! There's a description! Now I feel a little bit better...just a lil' bit..
---------------------------------------------------------------
DYING HERE!! Just thought i'd mention it. *rips hair out*
I have literally grown old waiting for this book to come out *cries desperately*
I'll finish just by telling everyone to give this book and series a chance and I hope you all like it as much as I do.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
11/25/2014
FINALLY! There's a description! Now I feel a little bit better...just a lil' bit..
---------------------------------------------------------------
DYING HERE!! Just thought i'd mention it. *rips hair out*
I have literally grown old waiting for this book to come out *cries desperately*
September 7, 2015
After waiting for almost 3 YEARS for this book, I won an ARC of the book almost a month before it's even released and I can't explain in words how awesome it was to get my hands on this baby before most people could!
Oblivion brings us back to the dream world of Poe where Isobel tries again to save Varen from Lilith. I was hooked from the start and could not put the book down. I don't want to give any spoilers away since this is not out yet but for the fans that have been waiting for this since Enshadowed you will NOT be disappointed. I was so hooked on Varen and Isobel's relationship and I'm so happy after finishing this series.
Oblivion brings us back to the dream world of Poe where Isobel tries again to save Varen from Lilith. I was hooked from the start and could not put the book down. I don't want to give any spoilers away since this is not out yet but for the fans that have been waiting for this since Enshadowed you will NOT be disappointed. I was so hooked on Varen and Isobel's relationship and I'm so happy after finishing this series.
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