Scan barcode
vtranreads's review against another edition
3.0
This book met my expectations, which weren't set too high. If you have read the past books (which I thought were truly awesome!), then you would know what a challange it would be to tie up the series. I think that D.J. MacHale did so to the best of his ability. I don't see another way it could have played out. It felt a little too easy and you have to be really turn a blind eye when it comes to believability. Overall for me it was a satisfying conclusion. The series had already being going downhill for me after the Quillan Games, so I wasn't too picky about the ending. It wasn't absolutely ridiculous at least. Part of me is just glad that it's finally over.
The only thing is that I think that the last chapter, for me, didn't make a whole lot of sense with the rest of the series. It contradicts so many rules that are established. I think it could be ommitted. I personally disregarded it after I read it. It doesn't exist!
The only thing is that I think that the last chapter, for me, didn't make a whole lot of sense with the rest of the series. It contradicts so many rules that are established. I think it could be ommitted. I personally disregarded it after I read it. It doesn't exist!
josie_e's review against another edition
5.0
4.5/5 stars
(Sorry this reveiw is really long but I have a lot of opinions on this.)
I never thought the day would come that I'd finish Pendragon but here we are.
Honestly, if I were to rate this series as a whole I'd give it five stars it's definitely worth your time. DJ Machale knows how to build amazing worlds and well-developed characters.
The ending, however, is just not my favorite.
SPOILERS FOR THIS BOOK AND THE REST OF THE SERIES:
The Bad: I felt like the final battle between Bobby and Saint Dane was kind of anti-climatic. Bobby just sort of beat the ever-living crap out of him said sayonara and then it was over. I think that the whole transporting to the Dark Solara and Third earth could have been better executed and it could have given us a better fight scene. The ending felt pretty rushed. I also feel like the concept of Solara also should have been hinted at earlier instead of sparing us that info dump at the beginning of this book. I also really really wish that the travelers could have been in here more. Don't get me wrong I love Mark and Courtney but I really wanted to see a little less of them and more of the travlers being a team. (Also this is just a personal opinion but I think Mark and Courtney would have made a better couple than Bobby and Courtney but Im trying not to be too salty about that.)
The Good: Despite literally everything I just said I actually really enjoyed this book. I will say it's not the shining star of the series (cough cough book 9) but it was pretty good. I was really engaged when I picked it up and actually read it. I like how Bobby didn't turn into some kind of Macho warrior guy in this book and still can be funny about stuff.
Anyway thats my reveiw bye.
(Sorry this reveiw is really long but I have a lot of opinions on this.)
I never thought the day would come that I'd finish Pendragon but here we are.
Honestly, if I were to rate this series as a whole I'd give it five stars it's definitely worth your time. DJ Machale knows how to build amazing worlds and well-developed characters.
The ending, however, is just not my favorite.
SPOILERS FOR THIS BOOK AND THE REST OF THE SERIES:
The Bad: I felt like the final battle between Bobby and Saint Dane was kind of anti-climatic. Bobby just sort of beat the ever-living crap out of him said sayonara and then it was over. I think that the whole transporting to the Dark Solara and Third earth could have been better executed and it could have given us a better fight scene. The ending felt pretty rushed. I also feel like the concept of Solara also should have been hinted at earlier instead of sparing us that info dump at the beginning of this book. I also really really wish that the travelers could have been in here more. Don't get me wrong I love Mark and Courtney but I really wanted to see a little less of them and more of the travlers being a team. (Also this is just a personal opinion but I think Mark and Courtney would have made a better couple than Bobby and Courtney but Im trying not to be too salty about that.)
The Good: Despite literally everything I just said I actually really enjoyed this book. I will say it's not the shining star of the series (cough cough book 9) but it was pretty good. I was really engaged when I picked it up and actually read it. I like how Bobby didn't turn into some kind of Macho warrior guy in this book and still can be funny about stuff.
Anyway thats my reveiw bye.
aggressive_nostalgia's review against another edition
Not absolutely terrible - yet neither was it the spectacular conclusion I had been anticipating. It was nice to finally get the answers everyone's been waiting for, but I have to say I didn't like them very much...
* Disclaimer: this review abounds with spoilers!*
...So basically, you try to tell me, Saint Dane and the Travelers are all ancient reincarnated spirits with the powers of gods, and the fate of the universe comes down to uniting an "inherently good" people who obviously haven't been able to make up their mind OR agree with one another throughout the book? It just...is so...simple; it feels like a cop-out. It's unfair to us expectant readers. And the whole concept really rubs me wrong. I'm just not comfortable with it. Not to be pessimistic, but...I think it was unrealistically optimistic.
And then, when it all comes down to it (after what was probably the most epic fistfight ever!)...Saint Dane, the malevolent, terrifying, [literally] superhuman villain who came within inches of overturning the entire universe is reduced to a whining, begging wretch making halfhearted bluffs to save his skin. I understand the point MacHale was trying to make, I suppose - that Saint Dane wasn't really as powerful as he'd seemed all along - but it was extremely anticlimactic. And I didn't understand the epilogue at all. I'm not sure if it was Bobby getting his wish for "more time" (in which case MacHale did a very poor job of portraying this scenario), or if he was trying to say that the entire thing was never real at all, which would be a horrible way to end this kind of a series...Really I have no concrete idea of what's happening there.
Overall, though, this was a pretty decent book and a fairly solid finish. I think the pros outweighed the cons for the most part. The action, as always, definitely kept me hooked; it was great to see all the characters back in play; and aside from the bewildering epilogue, the loose ends were succinctly wrapped up. Not too bad, and a must-read for any avid followers of the series; however, probably my least favorite installment of the saga. Anticlimax epitomized.
* Disclaimer: this review abounds with spoilers!*
...So basically, you try to tell me, Saint Dane and the Travelers are all ancient reincarnated spirits with the powers of gods, and the fate of the universe comes down to uniting an "inherently good" people who obviously haven't been able to make up their mind OR agree with one another throughout the book? It just...is so...simple; it feels like a cop-out. It's unfair to us expectant readers. And the whole concept really rubs me wrong. I'm just not comfortable with it. Not to be pessimistic, but...I think it was unrealistically optimistic.
And then, when it all comes down to it (after what was probably the most epic fistfight ever!)...Saint Dane, the malevolent, terrifying, [literally] superhuman villain who came within inches of overturning the entire universe is reduced to a whining, begging wretch making halfhearted bluffs to save his skin. I understand the point MacHale was trying to make, I suppose - that Saint Dane wasn't really as powerful as he'd seemed all along - but it was extremely anticlimactic. And I didn't understand the epilogue at all. I'm not sure if it was Bobby getting his wish for "more time" (in which case MacHale did a very poor job of portraying this scenario), or if he was trying to say that the entire thing was never real at all, which would be a horrible way to end this kind of a series...Really I have no concrete idea of what's happening there.
Overall, though, this was a pretty decent book and a fairly solid finish. I think the pros outweighed the cons for the most part. The action, as always, definitely kept me hooked; it was great to see all the characters back in play; and aside from the bewildering epilogue, the loose ends were succinctly wrapped up. Not too bad, and a must-read for any avid followers of the series; however, probably my least favorite installment of the saga. Anticlimax epitomized.
theowlerybooks's review against another edition
5.0
I cried for the ending of my childhood! I read and reread books 1-8 because I didn't want to begin the last 2 books for fear of the ending! I didn't want the journey of Bobby, Courtney, Mark and the travelers to end at all! The whole series grabbed my imagination and ran with it! This last book in the saga has me crying, laughing, at the edge of my seat and so many other emotions! Not just this book but the whole series I cannot wait to read again and again!
booksong's review against another edition
4.0
This book was interesting in that it broke the mold for a "finale" novel. It wasn't exactly an epic conclusion...but that doesn't mean it wasn't good. It didn't all depend on a rush of action and emotion and a climactic explosion of power and force...but it was it was still striking.
I liked the way Bobby returned to so many of the worlds we've come to know and love over the course of the series and interacted with all the Travelers again; I almost wish more time could have been spent revisiting everything. I was vastly relieved at the way Bobby rediscovered his friends; it was fun seeing where everyone popped up. And I did have my heart knocked around a bit with those close calls...I've really grown to love these characters. And everyone got a couple awesome hero moments, some even more than others, and that was great.
The final revelations of the Travelers gave me mixed feelings. I was okay with the whole Solara and spirit thing...but it kind of contradicted the message, I felt. If it was truly up to the ordinary people of Halla to destroy Saint Dane, than I thought Bobby and his fellows should have been ordinary beings chosen from among those, or maybe ordinary beings that showed extraordinary promise. But for such a huge and potentially ruinous concept, MacHale handled it fairly well, despite the fact that it was kind of a lot for a last book reveal.
The book might have been a touch shorter; it seemed like there was a lot of buildup for a single conflict, and a lot of that preparation and running around could have been shaved out.
And then of course, the big ending. I actually liked the way Saint Dane's defeat didn't have a ton of fanfare; it was cool how he brought himself to ruin and all the ordinary masses turned on him. It just goes to show that even the greatest tyrants can fall like paper when the right mindset and the right pressure has arrived. What kind of spins your head around is the last couple chapters. I felt that could have been a lot less convoluted. I understood about the whole "stay on Third Earth" thing, but what was with the ambiguous time travel, mind wiping, dimension jumping, etc. in the epilogue? Don't get me wrong, I loved that Bobby and Courtney got to be together, but I think the same general ending feel could have been accomplished by everyone just staying on Third Earth and helping rebuild it together.
But all in all, there was a feeling of peace in the ending that I liked, and the series as a whole is no doubt a great fantasy that's more creative and engaging than many things I've read. I definitely recommend all of the Pendragon novels.
And so we go, Bobby. :)
I liked the way Bobby returned to so many of the worlds we've come to know and love over the course of the series and interacted with all the Travelers again; I almost wish more time could have been spent revisiting everything. I was vastly relieved at the way Bobby rediscovered his friends; it was fun seeing where everyone popped up. And I did have my heart knocked around a bit with those close calls...I've really grown to love these characters. And everyone got a couple awesome hero moments, some even more than others, and that was great.
The final revelations of the Travelers gave me mixed feelings. I was okay with the whole Solara and spirit thing...but it kind of contradicted the message, I felt. If it was truly up to the ordinary people of Halla to destroy Saint Dane, than I thought Bobby and his fellows should have been ordinary beings chosen from among those, or maybe ordinary beings that showed extraordinary promise. But for such a huge and potentially ruinous concept, MacHale handled it fairly well, despite the fact that it was kind of a lot for a last book reveal.
The book might have been a touch shorter; it seemed like there was a lot of buildup for a single conflict, and a lot of that preparation and running around could have been shaved out.
And then of course, the big ending. I actually liked the way Saint Dane's defeat didn't have a ton of fanfare; it was cool how he brought himself to ruin and all the ordinary masses turned on him. It just goes to show that even the greatest tyrants can fall like paper when the right mindset and the right pressure has arrived. What kind of spins your head around is the last couple chapters. I felt that could have been a lot less convoluted. I understood about the whole "stay on Third Earth" thing, but what was with the ambiguous time travel, mind wiping, dimension jumping, etc. in the epilogue? Don't get me wrong, I loved that Bobby and Courtney got to be together, but I think the same general ending feel could have been accomplished by everyone just staying on Third Earth and helping rebuild it together.
But all in all, there was a feeling of peace in the ending that I liked, and the series as a whole is no doubt a great fantasy that's more creative and engaging than many things I've read. I definitely recommend all of the Pendragon novels.
And so we go, Bobby. :)
noahbw's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book. I liked some of the new ideas that MacHale brought into the story, though I did think that the ending was a little farfetched. Like the final Harry Potter book, there was a lot of suspense building up to this book, and it ended with "The Final Battle", which was definitely exciting, though I think that the "Happily Ever After" was a bit cheesy. I'm glad that the people of Ravinia could choose the right thing to do, I just don't think that it was very believable. They were living the good life, I don't think that they could unanimously agree to stop the dados so quickly. Overall, it was a good book and a good conclusion to the Pendragon series.
micksland's review against another edition
3.0
I wasn't really impressed. Here are several reasons:
1- It was too new-age. Yeah. Turns out that the Travelers are all "spirits" from another plane of existence where people go when they die. So... are they ghosts? It wasn't really made clear. And it was a stupid idea anyway.
2- The whole point of the series was that the people of Halla should save themselves. Instead, the Travelers (who are not really from Halla) save the day. Um, hello? Does anyone else see the contradiction?
3- What the heck was that epilogue? Awful. Was it on 3rd earth? Why did Bobby get his wish if Uncle Press said 5 pages before that they had to go back to Solara? Plus, the ending was totally sappy and everything worked out a little too perfectly.
A truly disappointing conclusion to a great series. The action was as good as ever, but there just wasn't enough of it. Too bad... I was expecting so much more.
1- It was too new-age. Yeah. Turns out that the Travelers are all "spirits" from another plane of existence where people go when they die. So... are they ghosts? It wasn't really made clear. And it was a stupid idea anyway.
2- The whole point of the series was that the people of Halla should save themselves. Instead, the Travelers (who are not really from Halla) save the day. Um, hello? Does anyone else see the contradiction?
3- What the heck was that epilogue? Awful. Was it on 3rd earth? Why did Bobby get his wish if Uncle Press said 5 pages before that they had to go back to Solara? Plus, the ending was totally sappy and everything worked out a little too perfectly.
A truly disappointing conclusion to a great series. The action was as good as ever, but there just wasn't enough of it. Too bad... I was expecting so much more.
_veelox's review against another edition
4.0
finally done after three months of reading!
i'm kinda torn in my feelings about the ending. it was good, really good, but i feel like there is something missing. also i was expecting more from SD, i was a bit disappointed on how that character ended. i feel like he deseved more, and his departure and last fight didn't lived up to my expectations and his personality. and i would have like one more chapter, a last reunion between travelers... a last goodbye for loor, spader, gunny, alder, aja, elli, patrick, kasha, siry and even neeva (after all she's a fallen hero).
i'm kinda torn in my feelings about the ending. it was good, really good, but i feel like there is something missing. also i was expecting more from SD, i was a bit disappointed on how that character ended. i feel like he deseved more, and his departure and last fight didn't lived up to my expectations and his personality. and i would have like one more chapter, a last reunion between travelers... a last goodbye for loor, spader, gunny, alder, aja, elli, patrick, kasha, siry and even neeva (after all she's a fallen hero).