The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

Release Date - April 15, 2014
Publisher Website - HarlequinTeen
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 416 pages
My Rating - 4.5/5
**received in exchange for an honest review from the publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

VENGEANCE WILL BE HERS 

Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster? 

With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer. 

MONSTER 

Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions—her creator, Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost—the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie. 

In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone.

Character growth in a series is incredibly important. The character's journey, and their series long arc must feel authentic, earned and offer a satisfying payoff for the reader at the end of the series. The Forever Song ends The Blood of Eden series in a way that offers all this, and a thrilling journey at the same time.

Julie Kagawa is one of those writers who can balance plot, characters, and world building. She immerses the reader into her created world, and makes you care about the characters deeply. I became attached to each of them, but more than that, I wanted to follow their story. I was swept away along the journey with them. Having each of these elements be equally strong makes for a engrossing read. It show exactly how talented Julie is that she was able to do this with more than one series.

Allison's transformation from the girl we first meet who is barely surviving on the fringe, to the powerful katana wielding vampire goddess we see her become is mesmerizing. Here is a character that embraces her strengths, as well as her emotions. She allows herself to feel each one of them, even the messy ones. We begin the novel with her in a state of grief that causes her to want to embrace the monster inside, and that's Allison's journey. It always has been. What will she become? What kind of monster does she want to be? This installment answers that in a beautiful, tragic, and ultimately fulfilling way.

Having a satisfying ending to each and everything character's story arcs is often a delicate juggling act. The focus tends to be on the main characters. I appreciated that Julie took the time to make sure the loose ends were tied up just enough to satisfy. She also made sure that each character, and their own journey, was taken into account while writing their ending. It shifted the focus so that each character was important. I grew to love Allison, Kanin, Jackal and many others. Even if they didn't get the ending you wished for them, it was a logical, fitting ending that made sense within their story arc. The series ends with each character exactly where they should be.

No book by Julie Kagawa would be complete without some heartbreak. This installment really is bittersweet. I enjoyed the balance between the heart crushing sadness and uplifting hope that resonated throughout the book. In a bleak, decimated world like the one these characters inhabit, those moments of hope are so vitally important. It's what the reader, and the characters grasp on to. The promise of something more. If anything, the message of this series is that even in the darkest moments there are fragments of light to be found.

The Forever Song proves that it's possible to have a satisfying, thrilling ending to the series that doesn't compromise the characters or the plot. This series, and the character growth, just continued to improve as the series went along. Saying goodbye to Allison, Kanin, Jackal and the rest was bittersweet, but rewarding.