Ascend

Amanda Hocking

Publisher: Amanda Hocking 

Soon to be published by: St Martin’s Griffin

Publish date:

                e-book: already out

                print: 24 April 2012

Version: e-book

Series: Trylle Trilogy

This is the last book in the Trilogy, following Switched and Torn.   Many things happen at the beginning of this book.  Loki requests amnesty from Elora, who is getting weaker and Wendy must step in to fulfill her role as princess.  It is after then that Wendy finds out how he has been tortured by the Vittra King.  On top of that, Wendy has her wedding to be concerned about.  Even though every aspect of the wedding is being planned for her by Marksinna Krohn and Willa, she is still worried about it.  In Torn, Wendy learned what it is that the Vittra King wanted from her and in Ascend, she realizes that he will not stop his assaults on the Trylle until he gets what he wants.

The day after her wedding, this realizations hits home as she learns that one of the Trylle communities have been severely demolished by the Vittra and there are many people who are homeless and hurt.  Wendy along with a few other people travel to the community of Oslinna, to see what help they can be there and to show support for the Trylle communities that aren’t in Förening.  Wendy comes up with a plan to delay any more attacks on the Trylle people from the Vittra.  But that plan comes with a price…

I thought that this was a good ending to a good series.  Like all good series, I wish that they would go on and on, but I’m sure that it wouldn’t be quite as exciting.  I will admit that Hocking answered all the questions I had formed throughout the series in this last book.  I would highly recommend it to anyone!!


My lists for likes/did not like are growing smaller as I review more books in the series.  Not because I like/did not like the characters any more or less, it is just redundant give the same rationale for them.  So, instead, I tried to highlight the main themes of the books.

Third and final book in the Trylle Trilogy.

With a war looming on the horizon, Wendy’s fate seems sealed.

But everything she sacrificed might be in vain if she can’t save the ones she loves.

Her whole life has been leading up to this, and it’s all coming to an end.

• Wendy.  I know I have said this for every book in this series, but I really like her character and how she shows so much growth and maturity in this book.
• Tove.   Tove has a hard decision to make in this book and I think he makes a wise choice.  For that, I like him even more.
• Loki.  You don’t really get to know him very well until this part of the series, but I think he is a good guy.  He knows what is right and isn’t afraid to go after it.  Even though he has some stigma about his family history, that doesn’t deter him from the person that he becomes.  Yes, some things that he does in the book are in poor taste.
• Finn.  I liked Finn a little more in this book than I did in Torn.  He doesn’t seem like he is at war with himself as much in this book than in the previous books.   
• Matt, Rhys, Willa.  I’ve put them all in one category because they are background characters, but are still important to Wendy and what she has to accomplish. 

• Oren, the Vittra King.  Again, he is just a person who only cares about what he wants and will stop at nothing to get it.

As I stated in the cover review for Torn, this really isn’t a just review because I know what the print covers will look like and I like them more.  However, the Ascend e-book cover almost looks exactly like the other e-books covers having the same blue colors, the same sky.  Only difference that I noticed was that the flowers were different and this one said Ascend.  The print cover show a girl (whom I presume to be Wendy) in a field with a chair.  I presume the chair to be a throne.  It does not look like a throne to me.  In the books, the Trylle throne is described and this isn’t what I pictured it to be.  Having said that, this is a pretty cover and I love the colors on it.

Torn

Amanda Hocking

Publisher: Amanda Hocking 

Soon to be published by: St Martin’s Griffin

Publish date:

                e-book: already out

                print: 28 February 2012

Version: e-book

Series: Trylle Trilogy

This is the second book in this trilogy.  The first book, Switched, gave the history behind the Trylle and some history of Wendy.  At the start of this book, Wendy and Rhys, who is Wendy’s mänsklig, leave Förening.  Förening is the place where the Trylle live and Wendy was taken to in the last book to keep her safe.  When she returns to her home in Florida with Rhys, her brother Matt is excited to see her.  It isn’t too long before Finn showed up to protect Wendy once again.  After refusing his help and that of the tracker who was assigned to her, Duncan Janssen, the two trackers unwillingly leave.  This leaves an entry for the Vittra to kidnap the princess.

Wendy put up a fight when the Vittra came in and attacked her and Loki Staad, Vittra Markis or royalty, helps in the capture of Wendy, Rhys and Matt.  When she wakes up, she is in the dungeon of the Vittra palace and is confused about what had happened at home.  She then finds out that she is more of a princess than she thought and understands why both the Vittra and Trylle want her to reign.  She also is introduced more to Loki and she is confused by him because he seems to want to help her but then again, he is the one who kidnapped her in the first place.

Duncan, Finn and Tove finally come to rescue her, Matt and Rhys.  With the help of Loki, they are freed and on their way back to Förening.  While there, Matt learns about the Trylle and Wendy’s history.  Wendy also learns more about her mother, the Queen.  The Vittra break in during Wendy’s Christening Ceremony which causes the Trylle to reinforce their security.  It isn’t too long before the Vittra try another tactic and Loki is captured and held prisoner.  This is when he has more access to Wendy as she is trying to figure out everything that is happening between the two kingdoms, and at the same time, find out she was arranged to marry.

I read through this book quickly.  It went much smoother than Switched, because there wasn’t as much history in the book.  It was all action.   I had a lot of questions that remained from the first book and this one created so many more.

After I finished Switched, I immediately downloaded Torn.  The print version isn't expected to come out until February, but I couldn’t wait that long.  I am excited for the print versions to come out because in my ARE of Switched, it says that there will be a bonus short story with each of the books.

Torn the second installment of the Trylle Trilogy...

Wendy thought she finally understood who she was and what she wanted, but everything changes when the rival Vittra come after her.

She's caught between two worlds, torn between love and duty, and she must decide what life she is meant to lead.

• Wendy.  She is the heart of the books.  She is confused in this series about how important she is and what she means to the Trylle and Vittra.   She is trying to figure out things for herself instead of just believing what people tell her.
• Finn.  He is the Trylle that Wendy first met and fell for.  In this book, he tries to pull away from Wendy even though he cares for her because he knows that it is the right thing to do.
• Matt and Rhys.   Wendy’s brother and mänsklig.  They are Wendy’s side through everything.  Even though Matt doesn’t understand everything about the Trylle and their society, he tries to be a good big brother for Wendy and thinks of her safety first.  It was good to see more of Matt in this book.  I was also happy to see that Rhys was spending more time with Matt.
• Willa.  Wendy’s friend in Förening.   She is helping Wendy through a lot of the stuff in this book, including the planning of her upcoming nuptuals. 
• Tove.  He is the Marksis Kroner and is teaching Wendy how to use her talents.  He is a patient person and works really well with her.
• Loki Staad.  Yes, he kidnapped Wendy in the beginning of the book, but he has some good qualities about him.  He helped Wendy, Rhys and Matt escape from the Vittra palace.  Also, when Wendy is questioning him in the Trylle palace, you get a sense of who he is.
• Sara, the Queen of the Vittra.  She is on the “bad” team, but she is a good person.  She helps Wendy when she is hurt and also comes to retrieve Loki.
• Elora, the Queen of the Trylle.   I like her more in this book than I did in Switched because you get a better picture of her and what she has been through in her life.
• Duncan Janssen.  He continually gets flak for not being a great tracker, but Wendy likes him as her guard and he makes good decisions.

• Oren, the King of the Vittra.  He is a nasty person who likes other people’s pain.
• Finn.  I’ve put him on both sides on this book because there are things that I like and do not like about him.  I didn’t like the fact that even though he thought he was doing the right thing, he was essentially abandoning Wendy when she had the most stress and needed him the most.  In trying to stay apart from her, he also was hurting himself.
• Aurora Kroner.  Again, she wound up on the did not like list.   She says whatever she wants and doesn’t care who it hurts.  I don’t like people like that. 

This isn’t really fair because I have seen the covers on the print version that are coming out and I really like them.  On the e-book version, you see the blue sky with stars, some flowers and what looks like a spider hanging down from the flowers.  The word torn is written across the top.  This cover is very basic and doesn’t tell you anything of the story at all.  The print cover (pictured to the left) is very colorful has a girl, whom I presume to be Wendy, sitting on her knees in a field holding a crown.  In the background you can what look to be gates.  There is a part about gates in the story, but I didn’t think it was important enough to put on the cover.  The crown, however, is integral to this book.  Overall, I like the print cover and the e-book cover leaves much to be desired.

Switched

Amanda Hocking

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

Tentative publish Date: 03 January 2012

Version: ARC from St. Martin’s Griffin (Thank you!)

Series: Trylle Series

Wendy is a changeling.   This means that she was switched at birth with a family that was specifically picked out.  This usually works well for the Trylle, but not so in Wendy’s case.  Wendy’s mother, Kim, knew that Wendy was not her child as she was supposed to have a son.  This caused Kim to try to kill Wendy at her sixth birthday party.  Because of that, Wendy and her brother Matt went to stay with their aunt Maggie and Kim was institutionalized. 

Fast forward to today.  Wendy is a high school senior and she is attending, yet another school.  Maggie and Matt have moved around to find a school that would be good for Wendy and one that she will stay in, even though this has cost Matt jobs in his chosen field, architecture.  In this new school, Wendy meets Finn, who tells her that she is Trylle or a troll.  Finn is a tracker and is one of the best.  He asks Wendy to come back to Förening, the home of the Trylle.  Wendy is shocked at this and instantly refuses.  This confuses Finn because usually people will come back with him without questions.

Things happen and finally she does go back to Förening to protect Matt and Maggie, and there she discovers that she fits in there, but doesn’t really like it.  She doesn’t understand what the fuss is about her.  She doesn’t know what will happen between Finn and her.

This book has been out in e-book for a while and I had good intentions of reading it, but the opportunity never presented itself.  I was glad to receive the copy in the mail and instantly started reading it.  I loved the synopsis I had read before and was sure that I would be engrossed in the story once I started it.  I wasn’t disappointed.  Hocking is an amazing writer and I cannot wait to read more from her.  I had to cheat though, and bought the subsequent books in eBook form.  I am also excited for them to come out in print as in my ARC, it states that each book “will include a new, never-before-published bonus short story.”  That is enough to make me buy a book. I was so excited to see the new covers.  I just love them.  They are so pretty.

 

When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy finds out her mother might've been telling the truth. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - and it's one she's not sure if she wants to be a part of.

 

▪Wendy.  Of course I like Wendy.  She is the main character and what the whole series revolves around.  I wouldn’t like the series if I didn’t like her.  She has some good morals.  Even though a lot is expected of her when she reaches Förening, she stays true to herself and how she was raised.

▪Matt.  Wendy’s brother.  He looks after Wendy and feels that it is his duty to protect her.  He is, after all, the one who stopped their mother from murdering her.  He is self-sacrificing and gives up what he wants in order for Wendy to have things.  Wendy doesn’t realize this until later in the book.

▪Finn.  He likes Wendy, even though at times throughout the book, you don’t think he does.  He is wavering between what he wants and what he knows is right.  Which one will ultimately win out?

▪Rhys.  He is Wendy’s mänsklig or mänks for short.  That means, he is Matt's biological brother and he was switched for Wendy at birth.  He is truly excited about meeting Wendy and takes a liking to her instantly. 

▪Willa Strom.  She is Wendy’s only friend in Förening.  At first, Wendy doesn’t think that she’ll like her, but she eventually does.

▪Tove Kroner.  You don’t get a good sense of him in this book, but I like the fact that he doesn’t appreciate everything his mother does.

▪The new covers.  The old covers were okay, but the new ones really show off the book more!  I love them.  Good job St. Martin's Press!!

 

▪Stupid rules.  There are many rules in this book about whom can be with whom and the repercussions if you are with the wrong person/class.

▪Elora.  She is the current Queen of Förening.  I know that she has a lot on her plate, but the way she acts or comes off is mean and rude.  Constantly reminding Wendy of who is she and who she is not.    In this book, I do not like her as much as in the subsequent books.

▪Aurora Kroner.  She is manipulative.  You can tell that she is in this book.  She wants the power that the Queen has.  Being a Marksinna, her family is next in line for the Queen/Kingdom should the current monarch ever lose power.

Tentative release date: 28 February 2012

Wendy thought she finally understood who she was and what she wanted, but everything changes when the rival Vittra come after her.

She's caught between two worlds, torn between love and duty, and she must decide what  life she is meant to lead.

Tentative release date: 24 April 2012

Third and final book in the Trylle Trilogy.

With a war looming on the horizon, Wendy’s fate seems sealed.

But everything she sacrificed might be in vain if she can’t save the ones she loves.

Her whole life has been leading up to this, and it’s all coming to an end.