Author: Tabitha Caplinger

Pages: 210

Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy

Release Date: 01 May 2018

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!