A thrilling end to this wonderful series
Eroyn is gathering support to defeat Ryker Stroud. While many people are willing to join the cause, because they have experienced Ryker's cruelty first-hand, there are others who do not wish to fight. The training and planning are interrupted for Eroyn when Ryker contacts her and tells her that he is holding a loved one hostage. She enters his facility once more and learns many shocking truths. Is Ryker the villain they have all believed him to be? Will the rebels be able to stop him? Is an attack really the right thing to do, or it is going to be simply shifting power from one despot to another? I loved the first two books of this series, but this one is definitely my favorite! It is imaginative and thrilling. It was full of good messages. In so many ways, this series is on par with series like Divergent and Hunger Games. One of the best things about Eroyn is that she does not make excuses for her actions. She is fiercely committed to freeing the people of Compound A. She takes responsibility for the actions she has taken that have cost lives, and she really genuinely cares about the people. She does not crave the power, and she places credit where it is due -- Phoenix is a great leader and Luna is a brilliant and kind friend. She questions everything, but she continues on in her devotion to free the people. The losses that she experiences are tragic, but she keeps going despite all the pain. The plotline of this last book was just amazing. It took some turns that I definitely didn't expect, and the explanation for the founding of Compound A was finally revealed. This book started out a little slow for me (we are thrown into the thick of things, with names and situations that readers might not remember unless they go directly from reading book 2 to book 3). I was honestly engrossed in this book and read it way faster than I normally would have. It was difficult to put down. I was so pleased with this book! Great job, Ms. Russell!