Kelley Armstrong’s The Reckoning is the third and final book in the Darkest Powers trilogy. This book picks up after soon after the events of the second book. Chloe, Simon, Derek and Tori are living with Andrew, a friend of Simon and Derek’s dad. Andrew leads his own group that is against the Edison Group. He seems to genuinely care about the experimented supernaturals and even recruits adult supernaturals to help develop our protagonists’ powers, but something seems off. Someone is hiding secrets and a creeping sense of treachery puts everyone on edge.
Chloe has developed a lot over the course of the series. She started The Summoning with a bad stutter and little self-confidence. Over the course of the series she has gained self-confidence and lessened her stuttering while also gaining a level of control over her powers. Although her powers tend to be uncontrollable and erratic, Chloe has become more comfortable and more familiar with them. Her core personalities of kindness, cleverness, and, at times, naïveté stay strong throughout the series. Her kinder characteristics can sometimes overshadow her bravery and determination, but she has proven several times that she is willing to stand strong with her friends.
The Reckoning was a good closing book. It tied up most of the loose ends, but left enough unknown that the world could be built on if Kelley Armstrong decides to connect it to her Darkness Rising series. This new series is set in the same world but includes an entirely new cast of characters. The Reckoning’s plot was more similar to The Summoning than it was to The Awakening. Both The Summoning and The Reckoning are set in a relatively unchanging environment. The main cause of conflict is the creeping sense of unease and distrust in the adults supervising them. The Awakening has a wider variety of settings and its plot revolves around the teenagers running for their lives. The Reckoning actually seemed more lax than the previous installments because the sense of dread from the first installment and the urgency to run of the second installment were lessened. The book itself seemed weaker, yet it wasn’t boring. Exciting confrontations and plot twists kept the story moving as Kelley Armstrong’s humor kept the story from dragging. The growing romance between Chloe and Derek is also handled well. Their relationship plays off the similar stereotypes where the one the girl wants is also the one she can’t have, but it develops slowly. Not too much time is devoted to romance, which is great because you rarely notice the love triangle and the clichés. In all, it was an enjoyable read that finished the series, but left room for future installments. I give this 391 page book 4 stars.
Chloe has developed a lot over the course of the series. She started The Summoning with a bad stutter and little self-confidence. Over the course of the series she has gained self-confidence and lessened her stuttering while also gaining a level of control over her powers. Although her powers tend to be uncontrollable and erratic, Chloe has become more comfortable and more familiar with them. Her core personalities of kindness, cleverness, and, at times, naïveté stay strong throughout the series. Her kinder characteristics can sometimes overshadow her bravery and determination, but she has proven several times that she is willing to stand strong with her friends.
The Reckoning was a good closing book. It tied up most of the loose ends, but left enough unknown that the world could be built on if Kelley Armstrong decides to connect it to her Darkness Rising series. This new series is set in the same world but includes an entirely new cast of characters. The Reckoning’s plot was more similar to The Summoning than it was to The Awakening. Both The Summoning and The Reckoning are set in a relatively unchanging environment. The main cause of conflict is the creeping sense of unease and distrust in the adults supervising them. The Awakening has a wider variety of settings and its plot revolves around the teenagers running for their lives. The Reckoning actually seemed more lax than the previous installments because the sense of dread from the first installment and the urgency to run of the second installment were lessened. The book itself seemed weaker, yet it wasn’t boring. Exciting confrontations and plot twists kept the story moving as Kelley Armstrong’s humor kept the story from dragging. The growing romance between Chloe and Derek is also handled well. Their relationship plays off the similar stereotypes where the one the girl wants is also the one she can’t have, but it develops slowly. Not too much time is devoted to romance, which is great because you rarely notice the love triangle and the clichés. In all, it was an enjoyable read that finished the series, but left room for future installments. I give this 391 page book 4 stars.