2.5/5
** spoiler alert **
Ughn… Oh Beautiful Redemption where or where did you go wrong? This was a decent series wrapped up in the crappy way.
We start with poor Ethan being dead, and I pretty much cried through the first few chapters because Ethan being able to be back with his mom was some powerful and really good writing. In fact the first part of Beautiful Redemption made me very happy. Ethan in limbo (which I won’t spoil the details but was an A-mazing take on the after life) hanging out with his mom and his Aunt Pru and all her husbands. Ethan figures out how to get back to Galtin and see Amma, Lena and all the people he left behind. He leaves them messages in the crossword puzzles which I found to be very clever.
Then Ethan figures out why he actually had to die and the plot line finally takes off. Ethan now needs the help of his living friends to destroy his page in the Caster Chronicles (which is going to be a BIG SCARY EPIC JOURNEYL) and then he will get to live again… Which did feel a little convenient, but oh well, I can get past that.
Ethan’s part held everything that I loved about this series from the first book. I enjoy Ethan’s tone and the prose used to write him first person. The way he views people and life in Gatlin or even in the afterlife is something I will always enjoy reading…. But that’s where it ends and suddenly I am thrown into….. *cue scary music* Lena Land
The second part of this book is first person Lena, basically full of her moping around missing Ethan and refusing to believe he is dead for good. Even worse, now she no longer writes her horrible emo poetry she just thinks it ALL THE DAMN TIME until I wanted to rip out my hair with just how awful it truly was. Finally the plot moves on and Lena, John Link, Liv andthank the dark goddess Ridley, have a plan to help Ethan come home to the land of the living.
So we spend another two hundreds pages kind of doing something while really doing nothing, all the while Ethan is stuck with some creepy Gate Keeper waiting for the Book of Moons to be delivered to him. There is a very sloppy scene where Macon, Link, John, Ridley and Lena dispatch of the big bad Abraham Ravenwood (in the lamest manner possible I mean c’mon this guy was supposed to be the villain here!) and a rather nasty Blood Incubus.read vampire wannabee
Finally we come back to Ethan who manages through many trials and tribulations to reach the Caster Chronicles and defeat nasty evil that no one before has been able to defeat all the while maintaining his pathetic mortal status. When he finally has the option of destroying his page, does he do anything to help anyone else? How about his poor zombie ancestor who got screwed loving a Caster girl back in the civil war? Or Lena’s poor cursed family, since this series never explains if the curse really did die when Lena claimed herself for dark and light…. I mean what if Ridley or Lena have a damn kid? Does he destroy his mom’s page so she can come back to life too? You know since she only died because of corruptness in the Caster Library Keeper’s Guild? No…Ethan only saves himself.
So after all the crap Ethan has gone through he winds up alive again, but wait that’s not all !! Amma has to die to pay the price for Ethan living… Um….wait…WHAT THE FUCK? Didn’t Ethan go through hell and back to save himself? Why does Amma have to still pay a price when Ethan did all the work? It makes no sense.
I digress….
Ethan can now touch Lena so they can be togetherread fuck and while Ethan’s mom and Amma are dead now they are all going to live happily ever after and everything is wrapped up all nice and neat with a bow and chocolate milk and one of the corniest “things have never been sweeter” Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory lines I have read in FOREVER.
Disappointed is the only word I have for this final installment of the Caster series. So three stars but only because I couldn’t give it 2.5… And then only because of the first part and my severe Ethan Love
We start with poor Ethan being dead, and I pretty much cried through the first few chapters because Ethan being able to be back with his mom was some powerful and really good writing. In fact the first part of Beautiful Redemption made me very happy. Ethan in limbo (which I won’t spoil the details but was an A-mazing take on the after life) hanging out with his mom and his Aunt Pru and all her husbands. Ethan figures out how to get back to Galtin and see Amma, Lena and all the people he left behind. He leaves them messages in the crossword puzzles which I found to be very clever.
Then Ethan figures out why he actually had to die and the plot line finally takes off. Ethan now needs the help of his living friends to destroy his page in the Caster Chronicles (which is going to be a BIG SCARY EPIC JOURNEYL) and then he will get to live again… Which did feel a little convenient, but oh well, I can get past that.
Ethan’s part held everything that I loved about this series from the first book. I enjoy Ethan’s tone and the prose used to write him first person. The way he views people and life in Gatlin or even in the afterlife is something I will always enjoy reading…. But that’s where it ends and suddenly I am thrown into….. *cue scary music* Lena Land
The second part of this book is first person Lena, basically full of her moping around missing Ethan and refusing to believe he is dead for good. Even worse, now she no longer writes her horrible emo poetry she just thinks it ALL THE DAMN TIME until I wanted to rip out my hair with just how awful it truly was. Finally the plot moves on and Lena, John Link, Liv and
So we spend another two hundreds pages kind of doing something while really doing nothing, all the while Ethan is stuck with some creepy Gate Keeper waiting for the Book of Moons to be delivered to him. There is a very sloppy scene where Macon, Link, John, Ridley and Lena dispatch of the big bad Abraham Ravenwood (in the lamest manner possible I mean c’mon this guy was supposed to be the villain here!) and a rather nasty Blood Incubus.
Finally we come back to Ethan who manages through many trials and tribulations to reach the Caster Chronicles and defeat nasty evil that no one before has been able to defeat all the while maintaining his pathetic mortal status. When he finally has the option of destroying his page, does he do anything to help anyone else? How about his poor zombie ancestor who got screwed loving a Caster girl back in the civil war? Or Lena’s poor cursed family, since this series never explains if the curse really did die when Lena claimed herself for dark and light…. I mean what if Ridley or Lena have a damn kid? Does he destroy his mom’s page so she can come back to life too? You know since she only died because of corruptness in the Caster Library Keeper’s Guild? No…Ethan only saves himself.
So after all the crap Ethan has gone through he winds up alive again, but wait that’s not all !! Amma has to die to pay the price for Ethan living… Um….wait…WHAT THE FUCK? Didn’t Ethan go through hell and back to save himself? Why does Amma have to still pay a price when Ethan did all the work? It makes no sense.
I digress….
Ethan can now touch Lena so they can be together
Disappointed is the only word I have for this final installment of the Caster series. So three stars but only because I couldn’t give it 2.5… And then only because of the first part and my severe Ethan Love
Too bad this one didnt turn out the way you wanted it too. I hate when that happens especially when it's in a book thats wrapping up a series. Great review though!
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