Photo credits: Jeremy Bishop
Edited by Vaishali
Title: ‘Brave'
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout Series: (Wicked Trilogy #3) Genre: Urban Fantasy, New Adult, Fae, Paranormal romance Publisher: Jennifer L. Armentrout Year of Publication: 2017 Version: Paperback ISBN: 9781947591707
NOTE: Would highly recommend reaidng the first two books in the 'Wicked' series ('Wicked' and 'Torn') before reading this review as there will be major plot reveals from previous books!
Review
‘I’d forgotten that there could still be an us through the storm.'
Ivy is left more than mentally scarred after escaping her maniacal abductor and the atrocities she was forced to commit under his instruction. Contending with symptoms of PTSD from her disturbing experience with Drake, Ivy is suffering through nightmares, shameful thoughts, and angst-ridden memories, and a dark hunger is growing inside of Ivy, a hunger that has nothing to do with food, and everything to do with possibly hurting those she loves. Ren believes Ivy will never harm him, but he doesn’t know that she doesn’t trust herself, not anymore.
‘Violent rage and bitter fear swirled like a storm inside me, feeding strength I didn’t realise I had.'
Now living with the prospect of benevolent, good-willed fae, Ivy is living with the creatures she tamely slaughtered for many years, but good fae or no, do they really have Ivy’s best interests at heart?... Secured with the secret society of munificent fae, the diligent trio place their trust in what is left of the Summer court, planning ventures of attack against the Winter prince, securing an object of power and ridding the cold prince from their world for good. Nowhere is safe though, and though the ‘good’ fae have survived in peace for so long in their well-guarded territory, it may not be enough to contain a powerful Prince that no magic can ever restrain.
‘Each hit I took either broke skin or my will.
Each new burst of pain seemed shockingly too real. Each time I got knocked down, it was harder to get back up. But I did. I kept getting back up.’
Sinking into a kind of self-collapse, losing herself in silence and powerlessness, Ivy is restless to the ninth degree, anger sprouting to another degree, and she is becoming rasher and inattentive, more irresponsible than usual, being swept away by her feelings, making tactlessly dangerous decisions which inflict much more hurt than any kind of good. Still yet, the unreceptive, unfriendly fae she must live with make her feel like nothing more than a stranger. Lacking control in the largest parts of her life, Ivy keeps a patient Ren a miles-length away, and with their strained relationship testing its delicate binds, she tries to fight back for control and scrounge up the scraps of her frayed will.
“I can’t lose you.”
“You haven’t.” He brought my hands to his mouth, kissing the top of both of them. “Then why does it feel like I already have?”
Though Ren believes Ivy will never hurt him, Ivy’s native instincts are awakening, and she doesn’t trust what she is becoming and whether her loved ones will ever be safe from her. With what feels like an ever-mounting well between them, Ivy and Ren are growing apart in the middle of a submerging world. The settings of their relationship catches up to them, because intense beginnings lead to fraught endings, and as Ivy and Ren work through their trauma – and how to find each other through it – they can’t forget that there is a larger battle, one that requires their duty to mankind.
“I’d rather have you pissed off at me for the rest of your very long life than to allow the world’s brightest fucking star to go out. You can hate me today and tomorrow, but at least you’ll have a tomorrow, and I’ll make damn sure you have a whole bunch of them to be angry with me."
Rebuilding her splintered self and grasping back at what is in her capacity to control, Ivy and Ren find themselves learning the secrets of the fae and secrets of the Order, changing everything they ever thought they knew about the society they grew up in. Ivy is left appraising her former mentor’s role in this mess, how many lies and false histories their lives have been built on. Ivy has to set aside her jarring, overrun feelings to ally with the people she trusted, the people who betrayed her, the enemy who fractured her, and the people who are hiding what role Ivy has to play to end this struggle.
“You’re right. I don’t need reminding. I know where I’ve been.”
“But do you know where you’re going?”
Sacrificing and giving their lives to an organisation, who not only horded situation-changing dishonesties, but may be just as complicit as their long-time enemies, Ivy and Ren are forced to face questions about whether they ever fought for the right side, why the order has hidden vital secrets and spread ‘vital’ lies. Ivy and Ren are two people who were born into a life of obedience, whose actions were born from an untruthful past, leaving them to fret over choices made and the self-contempt they carry because of those choices. But two people who find a way out together.
‘And that’s what made this different, made this special, because I knew out there in the normal world, there were people who never made it past the first hurdle, who gave up the moment it got hard or required them to admit they’d been wrong. And our hurdles had been high. They were still there, the size of skyscrapers, looming over us like the shadow of winter when you’re desperately clinging to summer.’
Apart from spelling errors I noticed throughout this saga, there is a huge plot hole in this series which I came across while looking into it, one that pivots on the biggest plotline, and - though perhaps has a bit of an extreme solution - has direct resolution. There are one or two notable points that were touched on in the story I picked up on that weren’t tackled further, which makes me assume that this series could still be ongoing, possibly evolve into a spin-off/companion series, or a change of character perspective. Saying that, each book in this trilogy supersedes the one prior to it, takings things up a notch or two, and continues to provide vigorous tension while wrapping it all in a good dose a humour. Though both series' are different in many ways, this trilogy has aspects that remind me of the 'Fae Chronicles' series by Amelia Hutchins, and the 'Darkness' series by Stacey Marie Brown. So if you liked those, this would be a best bet for you.
“I trust you.” His eyes met and held mine. “I’m going to make sure you start trusting yourself.”
To save Ivy, at any and all costs, Ren takes Ivy’s fate in his own hands, making a life-changing decision that revises everything for Ivy, turning her world upside down, sideways, and then some… Ren readily makes sacrifices, even at the expense of himself, not permitting himself to ever let Ivy go, willing to risk anything all over again just to make sure his beloved is alive and breathing. Wicked allure, unanticipated cunning, underhanded double-crossing, plot twists I did NOT see coming, ‘Brave’ ends the ‘Wicked’ series on a satisfying note of a hopeful and expectant future – possibly turning into a spin off series with some threads life untied - for our main protagonist Ivy, and a tomorrow now visible through the tempest.
“Whatever you want to do, where you want to be, that’s what I’ll do- that’s where I’ll be.”
“You are so many amazing things, Ivy, but most of all, you are so damn brave.” I gave this book 4 stars -
My Rating System:
★ - 1 star: I did not like the book ★★ - 2 stars: The book was okay ★★★ - 3 stars: It was a good, solid read ★★★★ - 4 stars: A great book ★★★★★ - 5: A phenomenal read
Favourite Quotes:
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“I have never been more afraid than I was right then and there. I was going to lose you before I even got to have you.” “Look at me.” “I’m looking at you, Sweetness. Always am even when my eyes aren’t on you.” ‘I loved this man. I loved him because he chased when I ran. I loved him because he never gave up on me, not when I was being held captive and not when I’d closed myself off, shutting everyone out. I loved him because he was a good man, and if I wanted to say screw all of this and leave right now, he’d be right there with me. I loved him because I knew that he would be standing next to me later, ready to fight by my side. I just loved him.’
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Related posts:
● 'Wicked' by Jennifer L. Armentrout
● 'Torn' by Jennifer L. Armentrout _____________________________________ CategoriesAll Leave a comment and lets talk about 'Brave'
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