Under The Book Cover: the chronicle of the three

TCo3 Birthday Celebration: Maggie Character Spotlight!

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Eden Sword by Tabitha Caplinger Blog Tour!

Hi hello and welcome to The Chronicle of the Three trilogy blog tour! Today, I have the honor of sharing my review of Eden Sword, the final book in the TCO3 trilogy. Reading this trilogy has been such a wild ride and I still can't believe it's over! But really, this has been one of the best adventures I've ever been on and I am so thankful to have been a part of it. Just in case you haven't seen my reviews for Bloodline and Armor-Bearer, be sure to check them out by clicking on the names of the books! Potential spoilers are ahead (although as always, my review will be as spoiler-free as possible) so be sure to check out my previous reviews just to get you up to speed. Ready? Let's get started!

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Title: The Chronicle of the Three: Eden Sword

Author: Tabitha Caplinger

Pages: 210

Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy

Release Date: 01 May 2018

From Goodreads: "The final showdown is fast approaching, and a grief-stricken Zoe is forced to count the cost of her destiny. As the losses mount, her strength wanes. Even if the Chosen find the Eden Sword in time, will Zoe be strong enough to wield it? Will she be able to stand against the darkness as the promised Daughter of the ancient prophecy? Or will she be consumed by the fear of her nightmares becoming real? Fear or faith? Even the Chosen must choose."

Thank you to Tabitha Caplinger and Blue Ink Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for review! All opinions are my own.

After the rollercoaster ride that Armor-Bearer took me on last year, I wasn't sure if anything could top it. And then Eden Sword came along. This book was easily one of my most anticipated releases of the year because honestly, I haven't read anything like this trilogy in probably all of my years of reading. It's so unlike every other series out there and it holds a special place in my heart without a doubt. This book made me laugh, cry, jump (and fall) out of my seat with excitement, scream and shout, and everything in between. Eden Sword is easily one of my all-time favorite endings to a series and I am so satisfied with everything I read!

Plot:

The final battle is almost here and Zoe, grief-stricken from the loss of a friend, must start to weigh the cost of her destiny. Her strength is failing, and her faith in herself and others is almost gone. With the Eden Sword on the verge of discovery, Zoe has to wonder: will she be strong enough to wield it even if the Chosen find it in time? Will she be able to be the Daughter the ancient prophecy spoke of and fight the darkness? Or will she allow her fears and nightmares to take over?

This is the final book in the series and everything has been building up to the final battle with Abaddon. There's love, loss, laughter, tears, betrayal, a reunion, and an ending that absolutely does not disappoint. I obviously expected there to be the big battle at the end (kinda like in Supernatural when the entire season has been building up to the fight with the big bad, you know?) and there was, but there was just so much more to this book than that. There were characters dealing with loss and the struggle to move on or accept things about others or themselves. There was hilarious banter between absolutely everyone involving pity eggs and angel muffins. You know that so much bad is happening but there's also so much good waiting to outweigh the bad. I can definitely say that there were some things that happened that I wasn't expecting, but everything about the plot was just phenomenal. I'm convinced that Tabitha Caplinger doesn't have the ability to write a bad book!

Characters:

One of my favorite parts about this series is the characters. Throughout this series, and especially in Eden Sword, none of the characters are portrayed as the "typical" YA characters. What do I mean by "typical" YA characters? I mean the ones who are noticeably super special right from the beginning. The ones who are "plain" but also ridiculously pretty and quite obviously destined for a long adventure spanning several books. Ones who are perfect, never make mistakes or have problems. You won't find those kinds of characters in this series. In Eden Sword, we get to see both Zoe and Claire struggle with things both inside and outside of themselves. Claire struggles to accept that what happens with Alex is not her fault but rather the result of his own choices, showing that even the seemingly strong parental figure is not always as strong as she pretends to be. Zoe struggles with her faith in both herself and the Maker and whether or not she believes she is strong enough to defeat Abaddon. We even get to see Maggie struggle with moving on and accepting the loss of a loved one. But these characters are definitely flawed and it's incredibly refreshing to see such real characters struggle with things and overcome the challenges that they're presented with. They're human, and humans make mistakes and have flaws, and this series doesn't shy away from that.

In Eden Sword, there is a ton of character growth and development from start to finish. You really get to see these characters change as they get closer to the battle with Abaddon and they're so different (in the best way) from who they were at the start. Zoe is probably one of the strongest characters in any series I've read and I love that she has her ups and downs and that we get to see her internal battle with accepting herself, her strength, and faith in not only herself but others as well. I also (as always) enjoyed the banter between characters. They really do feel like a family and their interactions are always a treat to read. Especially when Maggie wants pity eggs! But all in all, my absolute favorite thing about this group is how they're constantly motivating each other and they're always there for support if one of them is down. They're a family in every sense of the word.

Writing:
As always, Tabitha Caplinger's writing is fantastic. You can really tell that as a writer, she puts her heart and soul into every word she puts on the page. The attention to detail with every scene is incredible and really draws you into the story, allowing you to feel like you're really there beside Zoe fighting demons or having pancakes with Maggie. I believe I've said it before but one of my favorite things about the writing is how you can immerse yourself into the story and not really be concerned with what chapter you're on or how many pages you have left, but rather just read what's happening and follow along. Tabitha really does an amazing job bringing these characters and this story to life and you can feel it with every word you read. This series is unlike anything you've read before, I assure you. It's hard to find a YA series where there's not obnoxious language or characters that have been copy-pasted from a "typical YA character" sheet, but this series has managed to do just that. You get genuinely good writing and a story that keeps you turning the pages to find out what happens next.

Eden Sword is a fantastic ending to a trilogy that is sure to remain with readers long after they finish the final page. Be sure to keep a spare lollipop handy while reading because, as Maggie says, lollipops make everything better!

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Thank you so much to Tabitha Caplinger for allowing me to take part in this amazing tour! I had so much fun reading Eden Sword and I am just so in love with how the series ended. I think now I'm gonna need that Claire prequel story, Tabitha! Be sure to check out the author, Tabitha Caplinger, and her books at all the links below. If you sign up for Tabitha's newsletter, you'll get the first four chapters of Bloodline for free!

Tabitha Caplinger is a wife, mom, youth pastor and professed tv addict. It's seriously a problem but she doesn't plan on getting help anytime soon. Mostly because she loves the stories. She can't help but get lost in the worlds created and invested in the lives of the characters. She brings that same passion for the story to her own writing. The first book in her YA trilogy, The Chronicle of the Three: Bloodline, is currently available with the second book releasing in early 2017. Aside from writing and watching tv, Tabitha can be found singing off-key and dancing in the kitchen or car with her two adorably sassy daughters and awesome husband who she thinks is kind of cute.

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Bloodline | Armor-Bearer | Eden Sword

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Thanks for stopping by and I'll see you in the next chapter!

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The Chronicle of the Three: Eden Sword by Tabitha Caplinger Cover Reveal!

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I #LiveChosen- Maggie

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Interview With the Author: Tabitha Caplinger

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Book Review: The Chronicle of the Three: Armor-Bearer by Tabitha Caplinger

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Title: The Chronicle of the Three: Armor-Bearer
Author: Tabitha Caplinger
Pages: 194
Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy
Release Date: February 2017

From Goodreads: "Darkness creeps around every corner as demons gather in the small town of Torch Creek, Virginia. The Destroyer has arrived, and the Reaping is coming closer by the day. Zoe knows it’s her duty as the Daughter of the Three to hold back the shadows, but she doesn't know how, and time is running out. Zoe and her friends turn to the ancient text of the chronicle for help. Are they strong enough to withstand an enemy who exploits their deepest fears and doubts? Will they find the answers they're looking for before all of Hell is unleashed?

Zoe’s journey as the prophecy’s promised Daughter continues in this second installment of the fantasy trilogy, The Chronicle of the Three."

Thank you to Tabitha Caplinger, Amanda Gawthorpe, and Blue Ink Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for review!

If you thought I ranted and raved about how much I loved Bloodline, then get ready. It's been a while since I've quite literally accidentally read half of a book in one sitting, but that is exactly what I did with Armor-Bearer. I was left needing more of this world after finishing the first book, so I opened up my e-reader and before I knew it, I was halfway through this book. Oops. It only took me two sittings to finish this and by the end, I was crying.

Armor-Bearer picks up shortly after the end of Bloodline and the very first chapter is filled with questions. The quirky little family of Zoe, Claire, Maggie, Daniel, and now Lucas are patrolling the city for demons and pouting their way into various hot breakfasts. With the shadows creeping progressively closer, Zoe worries that she doesn't have what it takes to fulfill her destiny. Can the group decipher the ancient text of the Chronicle to learn its secrets before their enemy can bring their fears and doubts to life?

One of my favorite things about this book was the introduction of Lucas as a member of the family. In Bloodline, Lucas is a proselyte and the main antagonist. At the end, Zoe saves him and shows him kindness and love when he had none. In this book, he joined together with Zoe and the rest of the team to help fight off the demons that are slowly invading Torchcreek. Lucas is definitely the dark humored one of the bunch, but he was so fantastic. He had his moments of wondering just why Zoe decided to save him and why they want to have him around, but he was also incredibly funny and sassy in his own way. Also, his friendship that develops with Maggie was hilarious, and I adored each and every interaction those two had. With Maggie being a ball of energy and Lucas being very calm and, well, not Maggie, the two of them actually mesh together so well and make for some very loud and obnoxious laughter while reading this book. Lucas definitely took the secondary favorite character spot, with Maggie still holding number one!

In Bloodline, we got a lot of Zoe and her story and how she's dealing with being a Daughter of the Three. With Armor-Bearer, we get a lot of Claire and how she's dealing with potentially not being Chosen like she thought she was, as well as some past issues coming back to haunt her. Quite literally, actually. My heart genuinely broke for Claire at several parts of this book and I really just wanted to reach out and give her a hug. She really goes through a lot and you can tell that things are starting to take their toll on her. As the group dives deeper into the books they got from Father Callum and tries to figure out more about the Destroyer that is supposedly gaining more power, they discover that Claire is in fact the Armor-Bearer, which is basically the guardian of the Daughter. This book definitely seems to throw a lot at Claire, but she's one of the strongest characters in this series and she's able to fight and bounce back from some of the low points she experiences.

With this being the second book in the trilogy, there's a lot of buildup to the inevitable "big battle" that is going to happen. The Destroyer, also known as Abaddon, spends a lot of this book trying to invade the thoughts and dreams of our group of heroes and break them down. He even takes things into his own...claws?...and shows up at various points in a form that the group doesn't expect.We are also introduced to another proselyte named Meredith and discover that she was a descendant of the bloodline that Zoe is from, but she ended up not being Chosen. I thought that was an interesting twist and wondered, along with Zoe, if there were others that were descendants that were not Chosen and just what happened to them. If the mental barrage from Abaddon and the sassy, evil proselyte isn't enough, the shadows are also becoming more and more frequent, making everyone aware that the "end" is coming sooner than they might realize. With all of this evil being thrown at them left and right, and doubt slowly creeping in, it's amazing that no one cracks and completely falls apart. But that's what I love about all of these characters- no matter what challenges come their way, they stand together and are constantly motivating and caring for each other.

Once again, Tabitha Caplinger has woven together a book that is so easy and fun to get lost in. As I said above, I read half of this book in one night accidentally. It was just so good that I didn't want to stop! The writing is beautiful and flows so nicely that you find yourself turning the pages and just completely immersing yourself in Zoe's world, not really concerning yourself with when the chapter will end but simply following the story and seeing what happens next. The plot, characters, and everything in between was written so very well that it's almost impossible not to love. It's not often that you come across a YA book that isn't filled with obscene language, intense sexual content, and a fair share of annoyingly stereotypical characters, but Armor-Bearer breaks that mold. Tabitha manages to create a wonderful story without the language, sex, and cookie cutter YA characters that you'll effortlessly devour and find yourself craving the next installment soon after finishing the book!

Armor-Bearer is a fantastic continuation in this trilogy that is filled with addicting writing, lovable characters, and an emotional, action-packed plot line. Be sure to pick it up when it releases in February 2017!

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Book Review: The Chronicle of the Three: Bloodline by Tabitha Caplinger

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Title: The Chronicle of the Three: Bloodline

Author: Tabitha Caplinger

Pages: 194

Genre: YA Fantasy

Release Date: 03 November 2015

From Goodreads: "Zoe thought the loss of her parents would be the most difficult thing she’d ever have to endure. When she began seeing things she couldn’t explain in her new home of Torchcreek, Virginia, she was sure the grief was driving her mad. Instead Zoe discovers she is part of an ancient bloodline, one destined to defeat the powers of darkness from condemning the world. But Zoe, the daughter of the three, isn’t just another descendant–she’s the key to humanity’s salvation.

In this first installment of the Christian fantasy trilogy The Chronicle of the Three, Zoe Andrews learns that not all shadows are harmless interceptions of light. Some are a more sinister darkness that wants to torment the soul."

Thank you to Tabitha Caplinger for providing me with a copy of this book!

I came across this book by absolute chance one day and happened to end up winning a wonderful giveaway from the author, Tabitha Caplinger, which included some very cute book swag as well as a copy of this book. It took me a bit to get to, not because I didn't want to read it but because I had several books already in progress, but I'm so happy I was finally able to pick it up. Once I finally made the decision to read it, I found myself unable to put it down.

Having to deal with the loss of her parents was the most that Zoe Andrews thought she would have to endure. When her aunt packs everything up and moves them to the small town of Torchcreek, Virginia in attempts to get a fresh start, Zoe is hesitant but tries to stay positive. Once she starts to see things that she can't explain, she's sure that the death of her parents is driving her mad- but it's not. Zoe eventually discovers that she's part of an ancient bloodline that is destined to defeat the powers of darkness from destroying the world. As if that wasn't enough, she's also a Daughter of the Three, which is much more than just a descendant- she's the key to the salvation of humanity.

Let me start this off by saying that if the idea of a "christian fantasy trilogy" has thrown you off, please give this book a chance. As a personal choice, I don't read any books that have to do with religion of any form; it's just not my preference when it comes to my reading decisions. Yes, this book references things such as "the Maker," angels, demons, etc. but it is far from trying to be preachy or shove religion down the readers throat. When I first got my hands on it, I truthfully read it with almost no idea what it was about because I wanted to go into it completely blind. To be honest, this just reads as a fantastic young adult paranormal book. There's action, a small bit of romance, some comic relief, pie, and a really fantastic plot that will have you turning the pages as fast as you can. This is such a beautiful book and I highly encourage anyone and everyone to give it a chance!

Zoe was such a fantastic character and I loved watching her transformation from beginning to end. She's struggling to deal with the death of her parents and moving to a new town, as well as the fact that she can now see creepy shadowy demons. The way that she handles things when she finds out about her bloodline is just wonderful. Yes, she's freaked out, but the very first thing that she ends up doing is helping out a girl that is being tormented by the shadows. She saves her and befriends her and that is the beginning of one of the greatest friendships that I have ever read about. Maggie is an absolute joy and she brings so much light and positivity into Zoe's life, something that is definitely needed while she's fighting off demons! All of the characters in this book are so well-written and really fit in to the story, as well as compliment each other. Maggie is a fantastic bundle of joy on a constant basis, Aunt Claire is the strong, loving, and protective family member, Daniel is the love interest but also super gentlemanly and supports Zoe while watching her back, Michael is the angel and is hilariously "out of the loop" when it comes to humans and how they act, and Lucas is the villain in need of a hug. Each is unique but they all come together to form an incredibly lovable and unforgettable cast of characters.

The plot of this book was very fast-paced, full of action, and even a little creepy at times! Zoe is a Daughter of the Three, and it is said that wherever she may be, that the darkness will break through the veil and destroy the earth. She has to learn how to fight in order to protect not only herself, but her family and the people of Torchcreek. I really enjoyed her progression from start to finish and how she eventually comes to accept her destiny and really embrace this new world that she's a part of. There was always something happening throughout this book and there was never really a dull moment, much to Zoe's dislike I'm sure. A large part of the plot (in my opinion) was Zoe's acceptance of the Maker. She struggles with it a lot, wondering how she could even possibly believe in something like that after going through the death of her parents. But as the book goes on, she begins to kind of understand and accept that the Maker has a plan for her and is always looking out for not only her, but her family as well. It's a subtle thing, really, but I liked the development that she shows as she learns more about the demons and what she has to do as a Daughter of the Three. The fight scenes were fun to read about, and it was very cool (but still scary!) that the demons would try to invade dreams and fight there as well as out in the real world. The fact that they could get to them literally anywhere was a terrifying thought! But you really get a good, solid story line that starts off this trilogy with a bang. Seriously, this is one you won't want to put down after starting!

Tabitha Caplinger has a way of writing that will draw you in and make you feel like you're right beside Zoe, fighting off the demons and eating pie with Maggie. It was so easy to fall into this book because the writing flowed so well and was really a genuine pleasure to read. Bloodline is a great beginning to the series and gives you a wonderfully built world that you'll love getting lost in. Of course, all of my favorite scenes have to do with Maggie, but there's no doubt that Maggie will charge her way into your heart as she did to mine. I could really see myself reading this book multiple times, just for the writing. It's beautiful and creepy and there's just something special about it that sets it apart from other books. With the perfect amount of description, action, and a wonderful family dynamic, Bloodline just took me by surprise and left a lasting impression on my heart.

If it wasn't already incredibly obvious, I loved this book. There were so many elements that added up perfectly to create this amazing and unforgettable story. I loved the characters, the writing, the plot, and everything in between. If you're looking for a really fast-paced, action-packed paranormal YA read, then The Chronicle of the Three: Bloodline is definitely for you!