Endure (Defy #3) by Sara B. Larson

Spoilers For Defy and Ignite

 Synopsis From Goodreads  

Add on Goodreads

At last, Alexa and King Damian are engaged to be married. But their lives are far from safe. The kingdom of Antion is under siege, and Rylan is a prisoner of the enemy. Even worse, Alexa remains at the mercy of the evil Dansiian Rafe, who controls her mind and can force Alexa to kill or harm Damian at any moment. Despite this, Alexa is determined to rescue Rylan, which soon leads her far from Damian and deep into enemy territory.

When she arrives, what awaits her is deadlier than anything she could have ever imagined: an army of black sorcerers and a horrifying plot to destroy the world as Alexa knows it. Will she be able to gather the strength to free herself, protect the love of her life, and save the land? Will there ever be true peace?

4.5 Star Review

The trilogy comes to an end and this book throws all the feels it can in all the possible forms. Firstly there is always feels at the end of a series when you know that you are saying goodbye to the various characters which you have spent hours getting to know as you read their adventures. However this book is heart-breaking, the interactions between Damian and Alexa in the first 60 or so pages were heart-warming yet tragic and just piles on the feels as their sense of hopelessness increases. The loss of some of the people who meant a lot to the main characters, also added to the endless list of tragedies which Alexa and the kingdom have to deal with and adding pressure and more grief to Damian's shoulders.

I was glad that Alexa spent more time with Eljin in this book, he has been quite a side character for the first two books. He played important roles in keeping the kingdom safe up till this point but I didn't feel as though I real knew much about him beyond he was a good sorcerer and he was loyal to Damian, so it was great than in this book we got to know more about his character.

The second half of this book was all action, followed by more death and destruction. It showed that Alexa can endure - as suggested by the books title!- most things that is thrown at her but not without physical and emotional injury.

I am glad for the preface being from Damian's point of view (POV) although it was slightly heart-breaking to read what he had been through from his perspective it was a good reminder of what happen happened in the past. I was also glad that we got an epilogue - although  I still want more about how people cope 'after' in their new roles - it was so nice to read an interaction between the two character's featured in the epilogue which didn't take place with the threat of war hanging over their heads and wasn't strained by lies and secrets they were both keeping.

Final thoughts

So a great ending to this trilogy - although I would always read more - this book is emotional as well as action packed and tense. It is sad to have turn the last page of Endure and say good bye to so many great characters.