Ascend: A Trylle Novel (Trylle, #3)

by Amanda Hocking

Duty-bound to marry her friend Tove in order to give the Trylle people their strongest king and queen in history, Wendy, a changeling troll princess, is torn between two other suitors, Finn and Loki.

• ISBN10: 1250006333
• ISBN13: 9781250006332
• Publish Date: 24 April 2012
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[tweetybugshouse]

This book was the perfect ending to a great series. The ending was bloody, but their was no other way to bring it to an ending that would work well for everyone involved. It was a bit of tear jerker but i loved it. Now to read the spin off.

[Kim Deister]

I have really enjoyed this series and I am sad to see it end! I thought Ascend was a perfect conclusion, especially with the bonus short story at the end. The world that was created was so interwoven with our own that it made it hard not to believe in the possibilities!
Wendy is a different person in this book than in the first. She grew so much as she accepted her destiny and made it her own. This is one of the things that I loved about her. She accepted her destiny, but she also refused to accept those things about her new society that she felt were wrong. Instead, she strives to make change, to make a rather stagnant society grow with her. She has met with a lot of opposition from those traditionalists, but she stays true to herself. The message there is inspiring.

There is a lot more action in this book, lots of twists and turns. There were also some deeply emotional moments that truly tugged at the heart strings. My feelings for various characters constantly changed throughout the book... loving them one moment and annoyed by them the next!

My Recommendation: I loved this series and its premise and I am sad to see it end! I gave it 4.5 mugs!

[Kelsenator]

Originally posted on my blog Kelsey's Cluttered Bookshelf

There will be spoilers from book 1 and 2. If you haven’t read them, do so before continuing. I will not spoil this book though, I will try to be good.

Everything in this book is getting more serious, especially compared to the other two. Wendy and Tove are now married and they are starting to try to make changes to the kingdom. Oren, King of Vittra, still wants his daughter so he can rule both kingdoms and he’ll stop at nothing to get it.

Relationships are also at an all time high; I’ve completely given up on Finn and I’m now rooting for Loki. I know she is married to Tove, but because of the thing you learned in the second book they can’t be happy together as a couple, just as friends. I won’t spoil who she ends up with, but I rooted for Loki just because he’s awesome.

Wendy is finally getting it together by being strong and confident and the future Queen everyone needs. She just needs to prove herself that she can do it, she never feels like it’s enough and that she should be doing more. With a truce of peace with Vittra slowly coming to an end, she needs to figure out a way to beat Oren. The ending went by fast but it was still pretty cool. I was hoping a certain battle would last longer and have more details.

I think this was a great series, it kept me captured in its pages and I couldn’t wait to see how Wendy would change and grow, what kind of crazy stuff was going to happen, and of course if they lived happily ever after or not. Definitely worth your time to pick these up and give them a shot!

Recommended for young adult fantasy lovers!

[bookishzelda]

I had dramatically mixed feeling about this book. I say dramatic because there were things that I absolutely loved and found to be unique and things that I felt a little disappointed in.

I know that not everyone would agree about how easy Wendy is to connect with but I felt she matured in this book. Or seemed more mature, she has the weight of the kingdom on her shoulders and even though her first instinct is to make risky decisions. It seems that people can talk her down from the cliff now, where before she would just jump.

What really had me with these books is the character of Loki. He didn't how up until book two and I loved him from the minute we met him. We get a better look at his character in this book, we found out more about his past and see a different side of him. Loki is that character that doesn't hold anything back and that is what makes him so great in my eyes.

Finn is his usual, duty comes first, self. He was always just okay for me and he continued to be that way in this book. I wanted to smack him and tell him to go find something better to do.

The way the love story worked itself out in this book was made me find it unique. I also liked the bonus story that rounded the whole thing out. We didn't have any awkward third wheel leftover like we normally would.

The thing that disappointed me was the epic battle that wasn't. The build up in the story was great but I felt like the turn of events toward the end fell a little flat. I had hoped to see a little bit more from that.

The book did go well with the other two books. We see a lot more from some of the characters that we didn't really see. Some characters took a back seat when they had been more prominent. I think as far as tying up the series this book did a good job of it. So it's still a good read.

[Angie]

Ascend is an amazing ending to a wonderful series! Wendy has stepped up to her role as future queen, and it trying to make her people's lives better. However, it's nearing her 18th birthday, her wedding, and an attack promised by her father. Wendy has a lot on her mind in this book, and while she's struggling to balance it all, I found she was doing the best she could. Besides the fate of her kingdom, there's also the issue of her love life. Wendy has a very supportive fiance (who may or may not be interested in girls), the duty bound Finn, and the charming, enemy, Loki.

Can I just say how much I love Loki?! Ever since he appeared in the previous book, he has charmed his way into my heart. I absolutely adore him, and he seems to really care for Wendy. He's also hilarious, even in the most dire of times. There's an especially awesome scene where all 3 of Wendy's young men are in her wedding chamber. I won't spoil anything, but the awkwardness levels were extreme!

To me, this was the best of the trilogy. There were plenty of laughs (mostly thanks to Loki), heartfelt moments, action, heart ache, and some slightly steamy romance! While I'm sad Wendy's story is over, I think this was the perfect ending.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.