Book #93: Ascend

Title: Ascend (Book #3 of the Trylle trilogy)

Author: Amanda Hocking

Date started reading: July 04, 2012
Date finished reading:  July 05, 2012

Publish date: April 2012
ISBN: 978-1250006332
Number of pages: 326

Official summary: "Wendy Everly is facing an impossible choice. The only way to save the Trylle from their deadliest enemy is by sacrificing herself. If she doesn’t surrender to the Vittra, her people will be thrust into a brutal war against an unbeatable foe. But how can Wendy leave all her friends behind… even if it’s the only way to save them? The stakes have never been higher, because her kingdom isn’t the only thing she stands to lose. After falling for both Finn and Loki, she’s about to make the ultimate choice… who to love forever. One guy has finally proven to be the love of her life — and now all their lives might be coming to an end. Everything has been leading to this moment. The future of her entire world rests in her hands — if she’s ready to fight for it." (http://amandahocking.blogspot.com)

Official series trailer:

How I obtained the book: Got through Lista.com (It's like eBay with a credit system instead of using money)

My totally spoiler-filled commentary:

• I was fully pleased by this book and how the series ended. From the second, Loki showed up in the second book, I wanted him and Wendy to fall in love and get together. Even though Wendy marries Tove (who turns out to be gay) for the sake of the kingdom, she loses her virginity to Loki in a moment of weakness (or perhaps strength because she finally decided what she wanted and went for it). I literally cried due to how beautiful their first love-making was. I also cried at the end of the book because Wendy and Tove get an annulment and Wendy marries Loki. And it turns out that Loki had impregnated Wendy during their first time. I wish there was one or more other books in the series so the story of Wendy and Loki's reign as queen and king with a baby could be told.
• Most reviews I've read of this book seem to show that most fans wanted Wendy to chose Finn over Loki and were mad that Finn didn't get the girl at the end. But Finn did end up with a girl... a refugee from another kingdom who was widowed with a baby. That's a much better person for him, someone who is in his own social class.
• Wendy's mother's death was surprisingly sad because in the end she and Wendy actually started getting to know each other, and the queen wasn't as bad as the reader was originally led to believe. Of course, she had to die in order for Wendy to become the queen. That much was obvious all along. 
• Wendy killing her father was a development I didn't expect. Their kingdoms were at war, so obviously something had to be done, and killing him was the most effective solution, but having Wendy do it so soon after her mother died was crazy. And to behead him? Gross. But ultimately cool. 
• Wendy reminded me a lot of Rose from the "Vampire Academy" series personality-wise. They're both extremely brave and strong-willed. They both stand up for what they believe in no matter what people think. Both Wendy and Rose are good role models for girls.

Memorable quotes:

• "Sometimes it seems to me that that's all my life has been, a series of things that I loved deeply that I could never have." ~ Elora
• "Mark my words, Princess. One day, you'll be madly in love with me." ~ Loki
• "If I can't have a fairy-tale wedding, at least I can plan one." ~ Willa
• "I needed Finn to choose me over honor, and the best he could offer me was one night." ~ Wendy
• "Oh, Wendy, don't look so appalled. I'm already the rebel Prince of thine enemy. I can't do much to tarnish my image." ~ Loki
• "You should get married more often. It makes you feisty." ~ Loki to Wendy
• "No one will ever accept you." ~ Finn to Loki
• "You need someone that loves you. You love fiercely, with all your being. And you need someone that loves you the same. More than duty or the monarchy or the kingdom. More than himself even. ... You deserve all the love a man has to give." ~ Loki to Wendy
•  "Evil attracts evil, apparently." ~ Loki
• "You don't obey a suicide mission!" ~ Finn to Loki
• "I was hoping you could have a happily-ever-after is all." ~ Willa to Wendy
• "I'll sleep when I'm dead." ~ Wendy
• "I'm great. The entire kingdom is falling apart. People are dying. I have to kill my father. And my husband just went crazy." ~ Wendy
• "Even the pain felt like pleasure." ~ Wendy about her first sexual experience with Loki
• "These people don't trust you or like you, and you're sacrificing everything for them. How does that make sense?" ~ Loki to Wendy
• "Why are you so intent on being a martyr, Wendy?" ~ Loki
• "I wasn't sure who had planned the funeral, but it looked like a Goth kid at a Cure concert had thrown up here." ~ Wendy
• "I'm free to be the naughty drunk friend." ~ Willa
• "I have been fighting to change things around here, to make the kingdom better for trackers and all the Trylle. And you have been fighting to keep things the same. You are content to live in this ridiculous hierarchy." ~ Wendy to Finn

Buy on Amazon.com: Ascend