If I Should Die by Amy Plum

If I Should Die by Amy Plum
Release Date – May 7, 2013
Publisher Website -  Harper Collins
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader
Pages -  405 pages
My Rating- 4.5/5
**obtained for review from publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

I will not lose another person I love. I will not let history repeat itself.

Vincent waited lifetimes to find me, but in an instant our future together was shattered. He was betrayed by someone we both called a friend, and I lost him. Now our enemy is determined to rule over France’s immortals, and willing to wage a war to get what they want.

It shouldn’t be possible, none of it should be, but this is my reality. I know Vincent is somewhere out there, I know he’s not completely gone, and I will do anything to save him.

After what we’ve already fought to achieve, a life without Vincent is unimaginable. He once swore to avoid dying—to go against his nature and forsake sacrificing himself for others—so that we could be together. How can I not risk everything to bring my love back to me?

After the insanely excruciating ending of Until I Die, I knew I was going to have to talk myself into diving into this one. I wanted to finish off Kate and Vincent's story, but was anxious. Needless to say, I worried needlessly. If I Should Die has Paris, romance, and an ending that is both unexpected and exactly what I wanted at the same time. Vincent and Kate's story closes out in the only way possible, even through a few tears.

Kate's story arc in this book is the most fulfilling. She really comes into her own in a way I never saw coming. She is a young woman who is beginning to feel comfortable within this new world she finds herself. She is embracing this life and reality. She's growing up, and that is the most a reader can ask of characters they love. That they change and grow over the coarse of a series.

This novel is filled with lore and mythology. Amy Plum has saved the best for last. This novel takes the revenants back story that we know and develops it further. The introduction of the 'Champion' allows for other reveals to happen. I feel we get a full picture of revenants and it really ties everything together. Things that felt unconnected are suddenly a larger part of the mythology in ways I was not expecting. Revenants have the potential to live forever, but that notion is rather daunting. The glimpse into the not so pleasant side to having immortality, and how it could make you weary and ready to give into to relief of permanent rest. It balanced out the amazing side of being a revenant with the harsh reality that living forever does have it downsides.

I would say this is the most action packed of the three novels. A battle that's been brewing between the bardia and numa comes to the forefront in this installment. The second half of this novel kept my nerves on edge the entire time because the threats kept on coming.

Jules, and his feelings, crushed me a little. I never realized the depth of his feelings for Kate until this installment. It was obvious, but like Kate, I didn't see it until confronted with it. I really like how this was handled, and that there isn't some triangle thrown in to create drama. It's a much more realistic ending to this type of situation, and it was refreshing to see it done this way.

Not everyone gets a happy ending, and sadly we do lose some of our beloved characters. The bitter sweet ending is how this story had to end though, and I think anyone who loved the first two books will agree that this ending perfectly closes out this trilogy.

A romantic, action packed ending to the revenants story. Amy Plum has left her characters on that perfect cusp of both closure and beginning. A fantastic end to a wonderful series.