Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles, #4)

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Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles #4)

by Kami Garcia (Goodreads Author), Margaret Stohl (Goodreads Author)

4.06 of 5 stars 4.06 · rating details · 14,655 ratings · 1,884 reviews

Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?

Ethan Wate always dreamed of leaving the stifling Southern town of Gatlin.

But he never dreamt that finding love with Lena Duchannes would drive him away. Lena is a Caster girl whose supernatural powers unveiled a secretive and cursed side of Gatlin, so powerful it forced him to make a terrible sacrifice.

Now Ethan must find a way...more

Paperback, UK, 451 pages

Published October 25th 2012 by Razorbill (Penguin) (first published October 23rd 2012)

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Apr 15, 2013 BlackroseBlackheart rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: good-books-r-hard-2-find, hoping-it-s-as-good-as-the-others, tears-in-my-eyes-over-you, young-adult, beautiful-cover, fell-in-lurve-with-it, kinda-slow-sometimes, love-it-love-it-love-it, paranormal

OH MY GOD. I AM SO SORRY.

I realised I had been putting off this review because writing it would have meant the end of... of this. The love, the heart-break, the passion, the frustration, the components that truly make this a beautiful series.

And all I have to say is... DAMMIT XAVIER, where were you all the rest of the series??? :o

I wasn't too sure about the book being from Lena's POV so much, as I kind of missed Ethan. He was a little more wry, and I thought it dragged on a little bit, which is...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Annabelle Marie Veronica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: caster-chronicles, paranormal, fantasy, magic, romance, gorgeous-cover, blew-my-breath-away-amazing, books-that-made-me-cry, favorites, i-love-a-guy-in-this-book, i-own

****FINAL RATING: 3.90 STARS****

CATCHALL
Wow. My first thought after finishing this was, what a stunning finale to the Caster Chronicles. I feel like I've been reading these books for years. They're so fantastic and gorgeous. This series just…wow. I mean, wow. I'm speechless really. Was this book perfect? Of course not. But I loved every moment of it nonetheless. It made my heart ache in a good way. I've become so connected to these characters, to this universe, that I have really found a home i...more

51 likes · like · see review

Oct 31, 2012 Hayden Casey rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: hurry-up-and-get-published

3.5 Stars

Beautiful Redemption is an odd book to judge.

It's so much different than the other three books in the series; in this one, there's a very clear goal in mind. The book is one overstretched, boring journey -- however, what this book accomplishes with the long journey is the increase and build of tension. The end kind of just exploded in my face. I read the whole thing in one sitting, and while in certain parts I wanted to sleep, it was a fun journey mostly.

The only thing that REALLY bugge...more

24 likes · like · see review

Oct 24, 2012 Manon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

21st of October (1 day after reading Beautiful Chaos) : The book doesn't even have a name yet, but I just can't wait 'till October 2012 to read it - hope Ethan is alright! And it's so sad to think after that one, whatever its name, there won't be any other story with our Ethan, Lena, Liv, Amma, Link, Macon and co...

14th of February (almost 4 months after reading BC) : WE HAVE ITS TITLE! I'm actually much more excited now! But I'm wondering what does Beautiful Redemption's plot will look like, an...more 21st of October (1 day after reading Beautiful Chaos) : The book doesn't even have a name yet, but I just can't wait 'till October 2012 to read it - hope Ethan is alright! And it's so sad to think after that one, whatever its name, there won't be any other story with our Ethan, Lena, Liv, Amma, Link, Macon and co...

14th of February (almost 4 months after reading BC) : WE HAVE ITS TITLE! I'm actually much more excited now! But I'm wondering what does Beautiful Redemption's plot will look like, and I'm quite nervous to see whose "redemption" the book is gonna be about. Oh god, curiosity makes waiting much more harder!!

6th of March (5 months after reading BC) : COVER RELEASED! Haha, I knew it was gonna be green for once. I love it. And it's a good omen for what'll happen, isn't it?!

10th of October (14 days before the release) : The book is out here in precisely two weeks. Oh my god. Seven days and it's gonna be the end of this series I've been adoring since its release in France. How am I going to survive without Ethan, Lena and co?

23rd of October (5 minutes after having finished it): Wow. Or, like Amma would have said it, W.O.W. three vertical, symbolizing atonishement with a hint of gratitude. Because that's how I feel, at this very moment. I just loved this book so much five stars aren't enough. Ten thousand stars wouldn't be enough. This book was magical, in the real sense of the term, I was hooked and only managed to let it down after five hours of non-stop reading (I even read it while going down my stairs, that's to say!).
The ending was just the perfect one. Every single word in this book was perfect. I don't always feel that way, I most of the time find little things that could have been changed, improvements to do on an artistic plan, even and mostly in my favourite books. But not in this one. In all points, this was the perfect ending to the four years of my life I have spent loving these books, running blogs about them, posting on networks, meeting the authors - this book is like the final gift Kami and Margie did to us readers, and I feel oh so grateful for that. I wouldn't change a thing in it, and even if I could, I wouldn't, because the perfect imperfections are making this book one of my favourite ever. I just feel so overwhelmed by emotions right now, I don't really think I can think clear, and even if it was the case, and even if I often revise my opinion for days after the reading, I don't think how my opinion of this book could ever change.
On a more technical matter, (view spoiler)
I really do hate endings - who doesn't? - but as we say, all the good things have to end someday. This is where the Caster Chronicles end, with their lot of joy and sadness, of laughter and tears, of Ethan and Lena and Link and Ridley and Olivia and John and Macon and Amma and Lila and the Sisters and all these other perfect characters who have been here for me for these past four years.
So THANK YOU SO MUCH to our wonderful authors for having shared the magical world of the Casters with us, which I don't even remember my life without.(less)

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Feb 01, 2013 Mikitara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: NOBODY

Shelves: brb-tearbending, favorite-books, hate-is-in-the-air, my-life-is-worthless-now, i-am-not-really-sure-at-all, ohmahgawd, homicidal, southern, excuse-me-while-i-die, the-most-evil-authors-in-the-world, made-new-shelves-just-for-this, rick-pjo-aint-got-nothing-on-this, my-life-just-got-so-real, things-just-got-serious, what-is-life-even, what-the-hades

Pre-Reading ~~Review~~ MELT . DOWN .
(view spoiler)...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Mik Cullen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

UPDATE 7/19/12

The cover of this book has green letters. Green. FREAKING GREEN, which is my favorite color. And a staircase winding down, down, down. And they gave us the title, Beautiful Redemption.

Redemption - The action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil: "God's plans for the redemption of his world". Hmm, maybe Ethan's the one getting saved. I hope...

Now, I have some new predictions for you guys. I recently reread Beautiful Chaos (my eyes were totally mistified by the ending)...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Annette Dellosa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

UPDATED 10/26/12

Few of my theories were right all along. Well not exactly that accurate but they were as close as they could get. LOL

Anyways, way to end the book series. At first it was slow considering the consequences Ethan needed to face. But I loved the 2nd half with Lena's POV. It was a nice change, reading from another character's POV. After that, I went all the way without breaks. I finished it 3am in the morning and my eyes hurt like hell. But the wait was worth it. I just wished there w...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Black Lotus ❤Letting Go Is the Hardest Part❤ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. OMG I CANNOT wait to read this I am freaking out right now!! I just found out that there's another book!! I hope Ethan's okay and did't die...and if he did, that would suck majorly. Also, I CANNOT believe there's a MOVIE on Beautiful Creatures! Can't wait to see it.
Beautiful Chaos just left me HANGING. it was so awesome, and then Ethan is falling and I am absolutely DYING to read Beautiful Redemption. It's green...and there's a staircase...in silver and black...going down and down...I. CAN'T. W...more

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Nov 10, 2012 Jessica (Goldenfurpro) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: book-series-that-are-over-with, read-in-2012, released-in-2012, school-year-2012-2013, series-books, witches-magic-and-more, pov-multiple, hall-of-awesome-4-stars-or-more

REVIEW FOR THE ACTUAL BOOK:
This was an AMAZING end to the series!
Yes, I said end!
THIS IS THE LAST BOOK!!!
Wait! No! Don't be sad!
It was a satisfying ending, not one of those endings that make you go "OH MY CHEESE! What will happen next?! I NEED TO KNOW!!!!". Believe me I've read some of those "endings" to series and they did not make me happy! But this book? Again, it was satisfying!
So I guess you wanna know about the book?
Well... i'm not going to give things away but I will say this:
-It's diff...more

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Oct 24, 2011 Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

i cried myself to sleep last night.
&a bit this morning while getting ready.
i mean;
WHAT. THE. FUCK?
how can you continue the series if ethan`s dead?/:
at least, that was the impression i got, i`m still a little confused on it.
either way, the ending broke my heart.
i cried for about the last 200 pages, when ethan figured out about the other half of his soul.
i *knew* it was himm/: the one who is two, i mean.
i`ve never been so devastated about a book before D:
i need this *now* 3

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Jan 28, 2013 Mar *How I see it reviews* rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reads, books-i-own, contemporary-set, fantasy, mystery, paranormal-romance, read-in-english, ya, witches

Cover is awesome, the title is amazing, I am craving for this book. Come to me book, I need you!

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Jan 02, 2013 Susana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: all "Beautiful Creatures" fans

Shelves: my-favorites, male-pov

OMG there is a 4th book! Fate put this book in my way because i dont think i would have known about it had i not been looking for the cast for the beautiful creatures movie. I googled the cast and it took me to Kami Garcia's page where i first laid my eyes on the 4th and final book of the "Beautiful Creatures" series! i immediately searched it on goodreads but they didnt have a summary. i then went to Amazon.com and they doo! here it is:

Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?

Ethan Wate has...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Everley Sharp, the Clankinist rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, books-that-made-me-cry-buckets

I get it if people pre-rate a book five stars. But I'm just curious as to why people have added it to their to read lists if they've pre-rated it one star? It makes no sense.

OH MY GOD. This was a fantastic series ender, something you don't see too often. Sad in all the right spots, happy in the right ones too, and not confusing or too arbitrary.

Wonderful.

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Feb 13, 2013 Victoria rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reads

Wow..pretty much just cried and then smiled (while still crying) through the entire ending of the book. H.E.A.V.Y. 5 down, as in "how my heart feels right now, Ethan Wate!"

The one thing I kept thinking throughout this entire book was "poor Ethan!!", it is always something with this boy! I love Ethan Wate. Although Beautiful Redemption was a little slow through a lot of the story, I kept reading for Ethan because I had to know how it was going to end for him. He's just had to give up so much in s...more

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Apr 12, 2013 Steven rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, nbrc-2013, wicked-wango-mango-tango

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. RECAP: Ethan, the One Who is Two, sacrificed himself at the end of the last book to restore Order to the world. He awakens to find himself in the Otherworld... a land of the dead, but not a heaven or a hell, just a limbo-y, in-between type place. And he's not alone. Here he finds his mother, Aunt Prue (a casualty of the Beautiful Chaos created after Lena's dual claiming), the Greats, and a few others. He quickly learns how to get a message to Lena, and discovers that his fate was altered. He set...more RECAP: Ethan, the One Who is Two, sacrificed himself at the end of the last book to restore Order to the world. He awakens to find himself in the Otherworld... a land of the dead, but not a heaven or a hell, just a limbo-y, in-between type place. And he's not alone. Here he finds his mother, Aunt Prue (a casualty of the Beautiful Chaos created after Lena's dual claiming), the Greats, and a few others. He quickly learns how to get a message to Lena, and discovers that his fate was altered. He sets off on an adventure through the Otherworld to change that fate, by removing his rewritten/edited to kill him page out of the Caster Chronicles at the Far Keep -- the "good" home of the "good" Keeper Council. ALong his journey, he discovers the Light casting book, the Book of Stars, and to move forward, is required to bring the Gatekeeper the Dark casting book, the Book of Moons, as payment. We all know Abraham Ravenwood, supervillain, has it.

Cut to Lena. For the first time in the series, we enter the mind of someone other than Ethan (kinda funny how it's a four book series with love triangles and supernatural creatures, and the fourth book has alternating perspectives... feels familiar... pulling a Stephenie Meyer are we?). Lena and the Gatlin gang (John Breed, Liv, Link, Amma, Marian, Macon, etc) get Ethan's message and go looking for the book, saving a caged Ridley and taking down Abraham very easily in the process. Then they all merge their powers and help Amma and the Greats pass the book to the Otherworld to get it to Ethan.

Cut back to Ethan, and he enters the Keep to find he must go through a Labyrinth and fight to the death. Apparently, the big bad Abraham was working with even bigger and badder Angelus (remember him from the Far Keep Council???) who has tried to alter his own Mortal fate into a supernatural one, to be special, and hates his own kind so much he wants to destroy them all. So he punishes those who went against his wishes or failed him and in death makes them his slaves. First is Xavier, the Gatekeeper who helps Ethan but struggles with mutations. Second, found in the middle of the labyrinth, is... Sarafine. She's been blinded and chained and forced to fight soul after soul that attempts to get into the keep. Ethan interacts with her, but her hatred of Angelus outweighs her hatred of Ethan and she sacrifices herself to let him get through to defeat the evil Keeper. (Of course, we all know it's because, just like Ridley, Dark casters actually can feel things and she wants to protect Lena in the long run.) Of course, Ethan triumphs over Angelus and returns home -- at the cost of Amma, whose deal with the bokor in Chaos was to trade fates so "her boy" could live. Amma "dies" without having to die and joins the Greats. Everyone else lives happily ever after, all coupled up.

REVIEW: Meh. I like the story. It was great. But there were a few things that irked me. First, Abraham was made a huge bad guy for two books and a short story. As was Hunting. And they both die WAY too easy and all of a sudden, Angelus is the guy behind it all. Granted, we saw at Marian's trial previously that the Council wasn't entirely pure or moral or good, but it just felt like the writers way of making a BIGGER story with a BIGGER conspiracy behind it all.

Other than that, I was impressed by the series as a whole. It kept my attention, made me like the characters, and was relatively original even while using some stock twists and storylines.

Overall, I liked the series quite a bit. :)(less)

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Oct 31, 2012 Belle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I started the Beautiful Creatures series last week. Today is Halloween. Talk about a powerful Casting day, eh? I fell in love with this series from the first chapter of Beautiful Creatures. I would hope that anyone who read them would remember when it ended with the sentence: "And in the end there was a grave." I'm not gonna lie. I flipped out.

Even later in Beautiful Creatures Ethan calls history a B****. I laughed at how funny and true that line was. Reading this series has been pretty awesome...more I started the Beautiful Creatures series last week. Today is Halloween. Talk about a powerful Casting day, eh? I fell in love with this series from the first chapter of Beautiful Creatures. I would hope that anyone who read them would remember when it ended with the sentence: "And in the end there was a grave." I'm not gonna lie. I flipped out.

Even later in Beautiful Creatures Ethan calls history a B****. I laughed at how funny and true that line was. Reading this series has been pretty awesome. I just wish it didn't go by so fast. I can't imagine what it must have been like after finishing book 1 and having to wait. After hearing about the 17th moon. You probably just went... 'WHAT'. And then finishing Beautiful Darkness you probably went... 'NO RIDLEY. WHY?' Beautiful Chaos was probably the worst. Sobbing. And more sobbing. And then waiting. And then more waiting. I had to wait about 24 hours to go to my local Barnes and Noble and I could barley stand it. I gotta hand it to you people who started it from the beginnig. The waiting and the pain. As much as I loved going from book to book and always knowing what was going on, I wish I was a bigger part of it. The waiting and the guesses and the feeling in your gut when it's FINALLY the release date.

And then of course there is the end. I know you don't want to say it but it's over. "HERE ENDITH THE CASTER CHRONICLES" as the wonderful Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl have put it.

I only have a two more things to say about this series besides the fact that it's amazing.

1) It reminds me of Twilight. Not in a bad way, a good way, or a "Those copyers" way. The format is just similar. The small town that gets shaken up by the weirdly awesome outcasts and the person who notices them. In the second book Lena and Edward leave because they think they are protecting the one they love. And of course the triangle comes in (like they didn't already have enough problems). Then in the last book of four the POV swithces from the normal narrator to a person they love then back. I know that the two series aren't that comparable. This is just something I picked up.

2) I wish there was a tad more was explained at the end. So what is the order like now and now that Angelus is dead... what? Is the world just okay with that? Everyone he knew didn't react to that. No "AWWW" no "YAYY" just "... Oh hey, look everyone he's dead. Who feels like taking his place? You random person? Okay cool." Okay. I made it sound worse than it was but still that bothers me a. A lot. I guess I'll get over it eventually.

(less)

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Jul 04, 2012 AJ*~luvswerdz~* rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm weeping in the corner of my very dark room because this is the only book that's coming out in the near future that I'm looking forward to reading. Excuse me.
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! WAH! WAH! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...more

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Jan 01, 2013 Katie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: recommend-to-friends, other-books-in-series-were-better

BEFORE

Can't wait to read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHH!!!!! Must find out what happens to Ethan, and Lena, and Link, and John, and Liv, and Ridley, and Amma, and Macon . . . Can't wait until tentatively October!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the Movie!!!!!!!! LOVE Emmy Rossum!!!!! So much I can't wait for! FREAKING OUT!!!!!!

Okay, glad I got that out of my system ;)

AFTER

(SPOILERS ahead)

I've got to say, it wasn't my favorite of the series. I was so excited to read it, as you can see fro...more BEFORE

Can't wait to read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHH!!!!! Must find out what happens to Ethan, and Lena, and Link, and John, and Liv, and Ridley, and Amma, and Macon . . . Can't wait until tentatively October!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the Movie!!!!!!!! LOVE Emmy Rossum!!!!! So much I can't wait for! FREAKING OUT!!!!!!

Okay, glad I got that out of my system ;)

AFTER

(SPOILERS ahead)

I've got to say, it wasn't my favorite of the series. I was so excited to read it, as you can see from my before assumption, but it just seemed to come up short. Everything happened so quickly and without almost any struggle. Very early on in the book we learn Ethan's death was a mistake and there's a way he can fix it and he doesn't even need to figure out how on his own. Obidias tells him everything, and while it seemed daunting at the time, Ethan got things rolling very quickly. He got his messages to Lena, she saw them and figured them out immediately. She got him the stone immediately and figured out his need for the Book of Moons and got it to him a lot quicker than expected. Abraham and Hunting didn't even seem to put up as much of a fight and John gets to stay with Liv. Then once Ethan has the Book of Moons he gives it to Xavier and is let into the Far Keep gates. He has to take the Warrior's Way and encounters Sarafine as a Sheer and has to battle to the death with her . . . but wait! Because she hates Angelus more, she self-combusts and plunges herself into eternal darkness for Ethan?? I didn't come up with the character but that seems very un-Sarafine like. Then Ethan gets a reprieve with Angelus and gets to fight for his page in the Chronicals and wins pretty quickly. (Although I did love Xavier's role in that!) The only shock was when he gets back home and finds himself on the water tower, only to have Amma trade her life for his, which was unbearably sad, that part almost made me cry! Then all of a sudden Ethan and Lena can kiss and touch and they no longer have to fear of Ethan dying and when it's brought up to Marian and Macon they simply say they'll look into it? Don't get me wrong, the book was enjoyable and I'm glad I read it, but maybe I finished it too quickly? Obviously all of these things didn't happen as fast as I perceived (it was a 400+ page book) but it just seemed to have a different tone than the rest of the books. I knew things were going to work out and I knew Ethan would get back home. I didn't predict the Amma thing which was a twist, but I wanted something more exciting. Ethan still falling from the tower and getting extremely injured but not dying, or John going with Abraham after all and escaping later. I just thought everything happened a little too simply. But, again, I still loved the series and I can't wait to see the movie. Maybe I'll just have to read through it again and slow down a bit to get the full impact.(less)

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Nov 06, 2012 Joy (joyous reads) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Warning: Spoilers galore. Read at your own risk.

There are books that you savour every page that you read and books that you simply couldn't wait to finish. Beautiful Redemption was a combination of both. I've started reading this book ever since it came out; and as you can tell, it took me a week or so to finally say goodbye. The ending, for us was bittersweet and I'm going to miss every single character of this book. If the ending to Beautiful Chaos left you in a fetal position, sucking your th...more Warning: Spoilers galore. Read at your own risk.

There are books that you savour every page that you read and books that you simply couldn't wait to finish. Beautiful Redemption was a combination of both. I've started reading this book ever since it came out; and as you can tell, it took me a week or so to finally say goodbye. The ending, for us was bittersweet and I'm going to miss every single character of this book. If the ending to Beautiful Chaos left you in a fetal position, sucking your thumb, this book may or may not make up for that. My feelings? Well, this book wasn't up to scratch - sadly.

Beautiful Redemption finds Gatlin mourning the death of our boy - at least, those who were in the know. Link hounds Lena on the pretense of wanting to protect her. Lena haunts Greenbrier where Ethan was "interred" while Amma and the all the other casters casted a very powerful spell to protect Ethan's dad from ever knowing his son offed himself by jumping off the water tower. Business as usual in Gatlin except for the fact that their son is conspicuously missing.

Meanwhile, Ethan hasn't given up hope that he could return to those he loves. In the Otherworld, he's making deals left and right, finding ways to get back to Lena and attempting to right the wrong that started the whole thing to begin with.

Well, this is where Ethan and Lena's trials and tribulations come to an end. And while I'm happy with the way this book ended, I can't help but feel like it was entirely anti-climactic. I thought that they didn't really struggle and that the authors gave the characters an easy out. Not that they were convenient or anything; I just found that Beautiful Chaos was more suspenseful than this one ever was.

Half the time, Ethan was fighting his battles without having a clue on what to do. And really, who would, right? I mean he's a teenager who suddenly found himself in the after life trying to figure out how to get back to the real life. Trust me, it wasn't like the stuff he had to do was easy but he was his own army going into battles with his gun half-cocked. The final showdown between him and the "bad guy" was a bit of a let-down. I expected some black magic kickassery and never got it. It was too tidy and - pardon me for saying this - kind of lame.

Sigh.

However, I love that this has a Lena POV. But what's a mystery to me was the lack of distinction between their voices. It seemed like Lena and Ethan were the same person. Their thought processes were alike.

As usual, the southern gothic theme in this book was of high calibre. I've always found this world mystical and mysterious and the writing duo of Stohl and Garcia never disappoint. The appeal of this series also extends to their colourful secondary characters.

Over all, I think Beautiful Redemption was a good enough adieu to a series that I've come to love. But I think it didn't live up to its fantastic reputation. This book could've been better, which only adds to my grief of it ending.(less)

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Jul 01, 2012 I'm Your Ramen Eating Mate ~~~~ The Rogue marked it as to-read · review of another edition

ahahahha. the book didn't even come out yet but they already have it up in goodreads.

edit OMG IF LENA IS A RAGING BITCH IN THIS ONE I MIGHT ACTUALLY CHUCK THIS BOOK ACROSS THE ROOM AND WILL PROBABLY CONSIDER SETTING IT ON FIRE! okay. I've had enough of her moronic actions and risking poor ethens life and that boy will do anything for that loser girl. it's pathetic I know. The only reason I come crawling back to this painfully slow series is because of ethen. he's pretty cool.

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Nov 07, 2012 Chelesbells rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I can't believe this series is over. This was a solid finale with a very bittersweet ending. I think I'll miss the sisters the most... and Amma's pie ;)

"Maybe there isn't a meaning to life.
Maybe there's only a meaning to living.
That's what I've learned.
That's what I'm going to be doing from now on.
Living.
And loving, sappy as it sounds."

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Mar 07, 2013 Ilze rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There is such a thing as sloppy writing, and this book, even the whole series, could easily be shown to aspiring writers as an example of such writing. Also, editors could take a note or two on how not to edit. I've seen booklets with more thought-out structures and better edited plot elements.
I have no doubt that the authors are a pair of imaginative, creative and wonderful women, but I wouldn't go as far as saying that writing is their thing. If it is, they hide it pretty well. The amount of p...more There is such a thing as sloppy writing, and this book, even the whole series, could easily be shown to aspiring writers as an example of such writing. Also, editors could take a note or two on how not to edit. I've seen booklets with more thought-out structures and better edited plot elements.
I have no doubt that the authors are a pair of imaginative, creative and wonderful women, but I wouldn't go as far as saying that writing is their thing. If it is, they hide it pretty well. The amount of plot holes in the book is higher than in all my bookshelf taken together. I guess there are several possible explanations for this (e.g., they had no idea what they were doing; they had crappy note-taking system; they understood everything so well that they couldn't imagine that some other people might not understand), but in the end it all boils down to the editor, who should have tied the authors to a couple of chairs and made them write a decent book. This one seemed to be read once. By a cat probably.
However, what strikes me most, is the lack of belief I realised I had in Ethan and Lena’s love. Somewhere in the middle of the fourth book (I know, I'm really quick when it comes to perceiving things), I suddenly realised that they have absolutely no chemistry at all. I was more moved by and ready to believe Ethan’s sort-of-crush on Liv than his unwavering, supposedly undying adoration for the love of his life. And the reason for this is mainly that Lena is as interesting and deep as a wooden board. The authors clearly wanted to create some buzz in the world of supernatural young adult novels by making the main heroine the gifted, awesome one, while the boy can barely tie his shoestrings by himself, but it really doesn't work out if the supposedly awesome character does not have any qualities worth mentioning apart from her quirky magic skills. So, to sum up – Lena sucks. What also sucks is the fact that her narrative and Ethan’s narrative have the same exact voice, but that’s not Lena’s fault, of course.
So what I'm saying in the end is that I applaud the effort the authors put in this book, because I truly believe that writing a book is a difficult, time-consuming and exhausting job, no matter what the end result looks like. At the same time, if you can’t create likeable, clever characters, but end up making them look stupid because of your lack of writing skills, don’t write the book. Or write the book, but don’t publish it. Or get a better editor. To be honest, though, no one forced me to read it, so I can’t really complain too much, but at the same time I would like all authors and editors put a little more effort into their work. You know, it’s just common courtesy towards readers.(less)

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Feb 10, 2013 Morgan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

To be honest I was a bit disappointed with the last installment in this series. I liked the other books but this one sort of failed to deliver. The authors used multiple points of view in this book switching off between Ethan and Lena. I think perhaps if they had switched perspectives more frequently instead of having large portions of the novel be from one pov or the other it would have added more of a dynamic feel. As it was the book felt stagnant and the plot was inevitable and predictable. I...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Em~Lost In A Dream~ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-to-get-asap, covers-i-love

October?!?! REALLY?????? The ending of Beautiful Chaos just shocked me to my core. I'll probably be a bit crazy until it comes out. But good things come to those who wait.
And wait.

And wait.

AAAAAAAAAAAAH! *takes breath* AAAAAAAAH! Sorry about that.

Usually I'm not THIS jittery about a book. The ending just got to me. A lot.

Eh,I'll wait two months. But it'll be a LONG two months.

It's worth it for this series.

***Update*** 11/4/12

One word:FINALLY.

Now i just have to get my hands on a copy.

***Update...more

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Dec 01, 2012 Scott Pilgrim rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, wizards-witches-warlocks, magic, male-pov, alternating-povs

Seen at Scott Reads It
"Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?"
Beautiful Redemption was a shocking but beautiful conclusion to The Caster Chronicles. I definitely enjoyed it but not as much as the other books in the series. For those who don't know, The Caster Chronicles is a 4 book series that started with Beautiful Creatures and it is a love story unlike any other. If you haven't read any of the past 3 books in the series or plan on reading the series, stop now because there will be SPOI...more Seen at Scott Reads It
"Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?"
Beautiful Redemption was a shocking but beautiful conclusion to The Caster Chronicles. I definitely enjoyed it but not as much as the other books in the series. For those who don't know, The Caster Chronicles is a 4 book series that started with Beautiful Creatures and it is a love story unlike any other. If you haven't read any of the past 3 books in the series or plan on reading the series, stop now because there will be SPOILERS.

Unlike most series, The Caster Chronicles is told mostly from the point of view of a teenage male. Ethan Wate is definitely one of my favorite male protagonists from a YA novels because he is realistic. Ethan isn't some sparkling vampire who saves his girlfriend from werewolves or he isn't fighting some fight to the death. Ethan is just a some-what average teen who just wants to lead a normal life. One day he meets Lena, a caster who changes his life for better (or worse).

Beautiful Redemption ended exactly where Beautiful Chaos left off with Ethan Wate dead after his heroic suicide off the Gatlin Water Tower. Ethan is dead in some sort of weird afterlife for people who still have unfinished business with the living. The whole execution of the afterlife was very original and brilliantly done. Ethan is trying to cope with Lena's absence while trying to find a way to get back to his love.

Beautiful Redemption, like all of the other novels in the Caster Chronicles are ridiculously long. I don't mind the length but more so the pacing. Beautiful Redemption starts off with a bang but from there it went a bit downhill. There was way too much moping Ethan Wate and not enough of the take action Ethan I find awesome. Once Ethan starts his quest at a second chance at life, the pacing really went alot faster. Ethan's quest was action-packed and gripping.

Another segment of Beautiful Redemption is Lena's point of view which sounded almost exactly like Ethan's point of view. I didn't really mind because it was definitely entertaining and interesting. I guess since Ethan and Lena spend so much time together, their voices sound very similar. Lena is trying to help Ethan with his quest from the real Gatlin but I did prefer reading Ethan's segment of the book.

As usual I love the second characters in the Caster Chronicles because they really complete the series. Linkubus was his usual hilarious self and he is still trying to cure himself of Ridley-fever. Ridley is supposed to be a dark and evil character but I can't help but like her. Ridley is really a lollipop craving teddy-bear inside, I just know it. Liv and John Breed are not my favorite couple because honestly they have some pretty tough competition (Ethan + Lena, Link + Ridley).

Gatlin, sweet ol' Gatlin! You may just seem like a Southern town but you're nothing short of extraordinary. The Caster Chronicles is one of those series where the setting isn't just a setting. Gatlin feels like home to me even though I have never lived in the South. Gatlin is an unique setting that is unparalleled in any novel. It may not be a dystopian society but I don't care! Gatlin may not exist in reality but it does exist in fans' hearts.

The conclusion to The Caster Chronicles isn't perfect but it's still pretty darn good. The writing adds a Gothic flair that adds a strange and mythical feel that really engrosses the reader. Beautiful Redemption started off slow but by the time it reaches it's final sentence, fans will be in tears. Beautiful Redemption was nothing short of addicting and I have high hopes for both Garcia and Stohl's upcoming books. I am so pumped for the Beautiful Creatures movie, I can't wait to be astounded.

3.5 Stars
(less)

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Nov 07, 2012 Jess added it · review of another edition

I am Glad it will be coming out soon and it was a bit of a cruel way to end that last book , but I am a little bewildered at the level of emotion going into these reviews. I am not a typical Y.A. reader but I will read anything that catches my imagination and I found myself enchanted by the southern gothic that seemed to seep into my conciousness like a creeping vine and wrap its night fingers around the blurry edges between sleep and waking. It did not grab so much as haunt. So well that i coul...more

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Oct 30, 2012 Addie R. rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: came-out-2012, paranormal, witch, gimme-gimme-now, series, eye-catching-cover, beautiful-writing, boy-protag, favorites, holy-shit-epic, i-own, left-me-speechless, magic, pwetty-cover, read-in-2012, so-many-emotions, water-works

Originally posted on Bookworm Recommendations

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“Here endeth The Caster Chronicles”

I died a little inside when I read that final line. Can’t there be another book? Please?? I’m going to miss this series and all of these amazing characters forever. I’ll be completely honest with you and say that I honestly didn’t even like the first book all that much, but it gets better, so so much better. I don’t know if it was book two, book three, in the middle of book two or what, but it will get...more Originally posted on Bookworm Recommendations

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“Here endeth The Caster Chronicles”

I died a little inside when I read that final line. Can’t there be another book? Please?? I’m going to miss this series and all of these amazing characters forever. I’ll be completely honest with you and say that I honestly didn’t even like the first book all that much, but it gets better, so so much better. I don’t know if it was book two, book three, in the middle of book two or what, but it will get better. I’m sorry if this review is all over the place, because right now my mind is just scrambled. I just still can’t believe it ended.

Beautiful Redemption leaves off just where that horrifying cliffhanger left; with Ethan trying to get back to everyone he loves. This book was addicting. I just could not stop reading, and when I had to stop I got so pissed off at the world. I seriously think I could’ve read this 500-page book in a day if I had the time.

Even though they’re worlds apart, Ethan and Lena are about to set out on a dark and dangerous adventure to get Ethan back. Oh, and along with the help of Link, Ridely, John, Liv and Amma. It’s been a year since I’ve been separated from these loveable characters. It was like withdrawal, and it didn’t help with that horrible cliffhanger. So it was nice having the gang together again.

This book put me on an emotional roller coaster. I was just as desperate as Lena and the others for Ethan to come back. And the suspense. God, there was so much of it. My heart was pounding probably half the book. And the ending? There is a high probability you’ll end up bawling your eyes out, I know I did.

I know this was an extremely short review, but I didn’t want to spoil anything, because there were so many surprises throughout this book. And honestly, I’ll probably just end up blabbering how much I love this series and how sad I am that it ended. If you love the Caster Chronicles like me, you will devour Beautiful Redemption, and then get angry at yourself for finishing it too quickly.(less)

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Apr 07, 2013 Mizuki Genshou rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is difficult for me to rate, I struggle between 3.5 stars to 4 stars, still can't make up my mind.

Although I dislike authors dragging their series on to no end. But I honestly hope the lady authors of Beautiful Creatures novels had written more deeply into their characters and spent more time developing their Casters' world, allowing both of them to have more space to grow.

Throughout reading the whole book, I sensed a lack of feeling and emotional impact in the story. I don't feel as s...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Deborah Takahashi rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teen-supernatural-romance

After making the ultimate sacrifice for the girl he loves, Ethan is not caught between two worlds. Although he is dead, he is in a place where those with unfinished business wait until they are able to cross over. Confused, and scared, Ethan did not expect to see his own mother caught in this place. However, after realizing the situation between his mother, and Macon, Ethan understands why she is there; hence, her ability to send messages through songs. For Ethan, he is not willing to accept his...more After making the ultimate sacrifice for the girl he loves, Ethan is not caught between two worlds. Although he is dead, he is in a place where those with unfinished business wait until they are able to cross over. Confused, and scared, Ethan did not expect to see his own mother caught in this place. However, after realizing the situation between his mother, and Macon, Ethan understands why she is there; hence, her ability to send messages through songs. For Ethan, he is not willing to accept his death and wants nothing but to return to Lena. After visiting Aunt Pru, who is also not ready to move on, he learns that there is a way to return to realm of the living and that it will be dangerous. Lila, Ethan's mother, is not happy with this idea and tries to persuade Ethan to stay, but, ultimately, Ethan must return because he was not supposed to die. Contrary to what he believes, Ethan's fate was decided for him and he has an opportunity to change everything. After visiting Obidias Trueblood, he learns that his name and death had been written in the Book of Casters and if he rips out his page, he will return to the mortal world. However, he must find his way to the Far Keep and get the book from Angelius himself. What he doesn't realize is that there is actually something worse than death--but eternal darkness. Ethan has no idea how he is going to get there, but he must if he ever wants to see Lena again. After being instructed on how to get to the Seam, which is the beginning of his journey, Ethan decides to contact Lena and Amma through the local newspaper and asks for help. Lena and Amma know that Ethan needs them, but Link and the others are not quite sure. In fact, Link, whose powers have been growing, has dedicated his life to look out for Lena even if it means that she is unwilling to accept Ethan's death. For Lena, she refuses to give up on Ethan and when she sees that he is asking for help, she is determined to get him everything he need including the Book of Moons. The problem with this request is that Abraham Ravenwood has the Book and they don't know where to look. Not to mention, how will they be able to get it to Ethan. In this thrilling conclusion, Ethan will take on all of the evil that has threatened his world and destroyed Lena's family. For Lena, this is the opportunity to bring back the boy she loves who not only restored the balance in the Caster World, but the same boy who never gave up on her. There is plenty of action and madness so get ready for an ending we may, or may not, be ready for.

I can honestly say that I was not anticipating the ending of this series. As I kept reading, all I can think of was: "Wait, I am running out of pages so where is this going?" What I appreciate about these stories is that both Lena and Ethan have grown so much and it gives the readers hope that no matter what life throws at them, they will be able to overcome anything. Clearly, the bond between them can never be broken because they were destined for each other. I guess my greatest fear is what if the drift apart? I will say that I encourage the teen girls I work with to not get bogged down in relationships since they will be going off to college an experiencing new things and meeting new people. But, in this case, I am sure everything will be all right since they both defied death, imminent destruction, and the pains of adolescence. Bottom line: the authors have ended this series on a bittersweet note and we don't exactly get the happily ever after we want. Honestly, if the authors did not give us this ending than the entire series would have been ruined (aka Twilight series). The hardest part for me is not knowing if Lila moved on and the fact that Amma had to fulfill her end of the bargain. If readers don't remember, think back to the meeting with the Bokor. Like all things in life, we all need to have a little faith that everything will turn out for the best. For everyone in Gatlin, they are clueless as to what has been going on, but thanks to the bravery and perseverance of two innocent young people they can go on with their lives. For teens, this series has shown just how precious and valuable they really are whether they have magical abilities are are just plain normal. Everyone plays a specific part in life, which makes them unique, necessary, and irreplaceable. I am sad to see this series end, but am ready to move on just like Ethan and Lena and see what the future holds, especially with the upcoming movie adaptations.
(less)

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May 11, 2013 Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: general-paranormal

In the stunning conclusion to their Beautiful Creatures series, Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl take readers to new depths of emotion and imagination.

Beautiful Redemption picks up just after the jaw-dropping conclusion of Beautiful Chaos. Readers get to follow along on Ethan’s journey to find his way back to Lena and the friends and family he left behind.

Garcia and Stohl take their readers through the highs of reunions with lost loved ones, new friendships made when you overlook a person’s exteri...more

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About Kami Garcia

Kami Garcia is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal & international bestselling co-author of the Beautiful Creatures Novels (Beautiful Creatures, Beautiful Darkness, Beautiful Chaos & Beautiful Redemption). Beautiful Creatures has been published in 50 countries and translated in 39 languages. The Beautiful Creatures movie released in theaters on February...more

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Books by Kami Garcia

Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles, #1)

Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles, #2)

Beautiful Chaos (Caster Chronicles, # 3)

The Beautiful Creatures Complete Collection (Beautiful Creatures Series #1-4)

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Quotes from Beautiful Redemption

“Maybe there isn't a meaning to life. Maybe there's only a meaning to living.” — 84 people liked it

“I watched the way they looked at each other. Any idiot could see they were in love, even if they were the only two idiots who couldn't.” — 58 people liked it

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Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles #4)

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