REVIEW: Rising (The Relic Trilogy, #3) by Bronwyn Eley

Author: Bronwyn Eley

Genre: YA Fantasy

Date Published: May 13th, 2021

Publisher: Talem Press & Writer's Edit 

Page Number: 468

Time is running out.

With two Relics now in her possession, Kaylan must claim the final three before rebel leader Bellamy De Winter does. Then she must find a way to destroy the stones, once and for all.

But the magic is different now... and so is Kaylan.

After losing so much, she has forged a new bond with the Relic. It is more than mere magic, more than just a stone. Kaylan sees the dead Lord of Edriast, the man she killed to save herself, standing by her side.

The Relic is the only one who understands her now. But every word it whispers in her ear could be a lie. Every chance she gives it could be her final error.

As Kaylan pits her power against the men who seek to take it from her, she finds herself – and those she cares for – in more danger than ever before. And through it all, the Relic claims to be her ally... But as the perils of magic become clearer, Kaylan begins to wonder: will trusting the Relic lead to victory – or to death?

Rising is the gripping final volume in Bronwyn Eley’s dark YA fantasy series, The Relic Trilogy.

Review

      As expected, the conclusion of this trilogy was as surprising and emotional as expected! I really loved that we got to see Kaylan accept herself and what she has had to do in order to protect those she loves as well as the world. I enjoyed the focus on her as a person more in this book as well because sometimes readers get lost in the action and the character’s state of mind and/or development is ignored, but not in this series. Another thing that I admired about this series and specifically this book is the shocking character deaths that made the story feel more realistic. There was no real “happily ever after” when so many people that Kaylan loved were killed during her journey, and it made the story even more compelling because it didn’t sugar coat the casualties. This was a raw fantasy novel that gave me realistic outcomes rather than the usual “everyone lives” scenario. Of course, this makes for a sadder ending, but I enjoyed the emotional ride.

     As far as the ending, however, I expected a more explosive climax and a more satisfying ending. I did feel like a lot of questions about Kalyan and Markus were left hanging and the ending didn’t do their relationship justice. I wanted to have more closure with the two characters and see their first meeting after she saved the world. I also felt like Markus’ character was dropped off in the middle of the book and forgotten about. On top of that, the ending scene between the two seems to be rashly thrown in to tie Markus back into the story. Though the series wasn’t focused on romance, it was a big enough theme that I felt like the ending could have been more emotional and detailed, especially given their hardships regarding the relic in previous books. The ending was acceptable and honestly, true to the characters and their journey, but I personally wanted more. Given such a grand adventure I just wanted the same type of ending. 

In the end, I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys epic fantasies with unpredictable plots because this book would be for you.

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First time hearing about this series? Go back to the beginning and check out my reviews of Relic (#1) and Riven (#2)!