Shadows in the Silence (Angelfire, #3) by Courtney Allison Moulton

Mar 03, 2013 Courtney Moulton rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

Shelves: my-books, young-adult

I can't even begin to explain how I feel about ending this story. I'm so overjoyed with the finale and the ways in which my characters grew. Not everyone gets their happy ending, but the little things that make you smile or happy cry make the broken hearts hurt a little less. I had a lot of fun writing most of this book, but much of it was written as I wiped away tears. Thanks for being there with me from the beginning to the end and loving my reapers as much as I do. I can't wait to share Shado...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Julie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-books

What. What!!!!

What an awesome way to end this series.

Actual Rating: 4.5 (please don't hurt me)

I'm not going to even try to explain what this book is about/what happened in this book because frankly, I suck at it, and also, there was way too much madness going on to even attempt to list all of it. If you've read & loved the first two books like I did, you'd understand.

Just to be a debby downer, the one thing I wasn't a total fan of was the dialogue at some points. It would get kind of .....more

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Feb 02, 2013 Mitch rated it 4 of 5 stars

The appeal of Angelfire and, really, the reason why this series gets such high marks in my book, can be summed up by the following simple analogy:

TWILIGHT:VAMPIRE ACADEMY

any of FALLEN; HUSH, HUSH; or UNEARTHLY:ANGELFIRE

I'm tired of being tricked into reading paranormal after paranormal - vampire, angel, or otherwise - where the first half or two thirds of the book is nothing but overwrought angsting and love triangle setup, with really no plot until the bit of action tacked on in the last two or...more
The appeal of Angelfire and, really, the reason why this series gets such high marks in my book, can be summed up by the following simple analogy:

TWILIGHT:VAMPIRE ACADEMY

any of FALLEN; HUSH, HUSH; or UNEARTHLY:ANGELFIRE

I'm tired of being tricked into reading paranormal after paranormal - vampire, angel, or otherwise - where the first half or two thirds of the book is nothing but overwrought angsting and love triangle setup, with really no plot until the bit of action tacked on in the last two or three chapters just so there's nominally something paranormal related, so a book with a kickass heroine, actual, threatening villains, and a plot that's all angel related from the first page to the last all exactly as advertised is, umm, refreshingly honest? Action packed and interesting? Actually good? All of the above?

Anyway, yeah, I liked Angelfire even though it didn't have the depth it could've had, I thought Wings of the Wicked was much improved if a bit uneven, and Shadows in the Silence continues to kick ass and take no prisoners. I'm not demonic reaper slayer Ellie's biggest fan; I thought she was a bit too bland in the first book, too whiny in the second - particularly with the stuff between her and her father, even though there's a reason for that, and too shrill at the beginning of this one - the way she's described as acting is kind of bad, but despite her flaws, I like what she's doing. She's off saving the world and Will's life with Cadan and it's not one of those obnoxious will they or won't they situations that other angel books will spend six or seven chapters going into in excruciatingly bad detail - one slap takes care of that - so the focus is entirely on finding a cure for Will and then stopping Sammael and Lilith from bring on the apocalypse. And along the way, there are swords to the chest, swords to the neck, swords to the ... well, yeah, there's hardly a dull moment as usual. Yet even still, Ellie's not written as a robotic character - the badass Preliator fighting off the demonic reapers - I've said before one of the strengths of this series is that Courtney Allison Moulton knows how to balance action and character development, and Ellie having to channel Gabriel to save the world while possibly sacrificing her own humanity certainly qualifies as a great angle to her character.

I liked Nathaniel and his presence is sorely missed, so I'm not sure if I'm the best judge of whether the supporting characters work out, but I do think Ellie and Will's dynamic with the whole her saving him and then him being unable to save her from becoming Gabriel situation is really what makes most of the story work (even if the scene with Michael after his warning to Will in the last book was really really cheesy), so much so I don't think the epilogue could've ended this series any better than it did. I'm a little disappointed with Cadan because he started out in the first book as the stereotypical bad guy with possibly more to him and he really got some interesting development in the second book and the short story A Dance with Darkness, but I just got the feeling here Moulton didn't really know what to do with him and Ellie now that he's officially switched sides so there was something missing to his development and he missed a lot of the conflict that could've been, except for one fake out right before the climatical showdown, but the stuff with him and Will being half brothers makes up for it, sort of, I guess. Otherwise, the new characters are really put to good use, I didn't expect to see Antares again after Ellie's quest to cure Will or Ronan for that matter, didn't expect Azrael to really do anything either, but they make cameos in just the right places to make things interesting. Plus, the supporting gang is more or less back, Kate rocks the best friend role for the third book in a row and did that really just happen to Landon? Ummm. Yeah.

Best of all though is, compared to most angel books, the actual plot is fairly well paced. Ellie goes from resolving the cliffhanger from the last book with Will being poisoned to finishing off the loose villain plot thread with Merodach to figuring out the clues to beating Sammael and Lilith, and all of it is tied together with action and character development and angel mythology and historical intrigue that it really flows. The pacing is almost absurdly fast, going from haunted Belgian castles to mysterious underground Syrian ruins to a showdown in Israel in a span of a few chapters that at times leaves me with a billion questions like 'I'd think people would freak out more from seeing an angel flying around Jerusalem...' or 'Those mercenaries fighting with Ellie at Armageddon are going to be like on every news channel at the end of this...' whereas the actual book is kind of dismissive of the climax besides focusing on Ellie and Will, but I'm still distracted by the awesome fight scenes, including one in the middle of a highway between Ellie and Merodach, and the final showdown against Sammael that I'm really letting all the loose ends about the effects of Armageddon on the world basically slide. Something for a spinoff series maybe? Since Lucifer is still around?

I don’t think I’ll ever accept Gabriel being a girl, but these books are so action packed and intense that I’m more than willing to overlook that and all the other flaws I’ve called out. Shadows in the Silence ends the series at just the right place that I think will satisfy any fan of the series.(less)

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Mar 27, 2013 Carmen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: all-time-favourite-books, fantasy-paranormal-romance

A perfect ending to a great paranormal romance series. Great wrap up, tension, and plot twists. The romance was a good SIDE dish, (not the main part of the story) and good butt kicking action. Good characters- really enjoyed getting to know Cadan! I really can't say much! The ending was perfect in every way possible. :) I'm still kind of speechless.... (As you can obviously tell by my horrendous sentence structures etc.)

Shadows in the Silence: Great book, wraps up an awesome trilogy, and The An...more

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Jan 17, 2013 Jessica (Just a Booklover) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, my-heart-hurts, lovelovelove

Awwww, I cannot believe it's over! Such a great ending.

It was funny. Seriously, this book put me into so many giggle-fits. I'm totally on Team Waffles!

It was sad. Honestly, what else do you expect? This is a war, people. An epic battle. Of course somebody's going to die. This hurts my heart, but it's inevitable.

It was freaking kickass! So much fighting and fierce awesomeness. This was one exciting stack of pages. ;)

It was sweet. Not just with Ellie and Will, but with all the characters. I'm real...more

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Feb 09, 2013 Beatriz Lins rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-release, hurry-up, jan-13

I am in awe. This is one of the best closures I have ever read. I... I just don't know what to say. This book is fucking brilliant. It's emotional, it's tense, it's heart-breaking, and it makes you feels a thousand different things while reading it. Ellie and Will have come so far, and this installment has truly proved me that. The ending of this book is sensational.

Courtney Allison Moulton, you've just become one of my favorite authors of all times.

Final review:

I don't know whether to cry or...more I am in awe. This is one of the best closures I have ever read. I... I just don't know what to say. This book is fucking brilliant. It's emotional, it's tense, it's heart-breaking, and it makes you feels a thousand different things while reading it. Ellie and Will have come so far, and this installment has truly proved me that. The ending of this book is sensational.

Courtney Allison Moulton, you've just become one of my favorite authors of all times.

Final review:

I don't know whether to cry or jump in joy. Angelfire is one of my favorite series (trilogies, actually) and to know that Shadows in the Silence was the last book is pretty heartbreaking. However, I'm happy with the way things ended. Courtney Allison Moulton just proved herself yet again as a magnificent writer. I might not make justice to her work, but I'll sure as hell try.

In this installment, things are a lot darker than before. Nathaniel is dead, Ellie's parents are dead, and she has nobody except Will to rely on. You can feel how much this fight against Hell has worn Ellie out. She's exhausted. And now, to make things even worse, Will has been poisoned by a reaper poison, and it's up to her to look for a cure with Cadan's assistance.

I should probably start this review by saying that I loved Cadan in this novel. He was everything Ellie needed him to be, and the fact that he was helping her, that he was in love with her, but a love triangle was never even mentioned made things a lot more comforting. Yes, I felt sorry for Cadan a lot of times, but I was relieved that Mrs. Moulton didn't go down that route. Instead, she tried to explore Cadan's character a lot more deeply, and with that, she raised a very disturbing question: Are all demonic reapers really bad?

And that, my friends, is one of the reasons I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. In Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked, we saw the demonic as horrendous creatures, who only tried to harm humans and aid Bastian. And now... with Cadan, everything has changed. It's like my point of view changed right along with Ellie's, and that is extraordinary. I was loving Cadan and rooting for him before I even knew what was going on.

It was crazy!

And you know what else was crazy? Will. Yes, you've heard me right. Will was just a crazy character in Shadows in the Silence. As Ellie got closer to the end of the war, and began to realize that the only way to stop Bastin was to call upon her archangel power (and loose herself in the process) Will began to scare me. He said some things that screamed "co-dependent Twilight-y relationship", and I admit I panicked. However - and thankfully - Mrs. Moulton also didn't go down that route. As morbid as this may sound, I actually understood Will's position in the matter. If Ellie died and never came back, he would be destroyed. His soul would be destroyed, and he'd never be the same again - but not because of some ridiculous insta-love (yes, Edward, I'm looking right at ya), but because he'd known Ellie for five hundred years. For five hundred years, he had devoted his entire life to the simple task of protecting and serving her - and loving her. If Ellie were to just die, part of him would die with her. And I found that incredibly endearing. And a little disturbing, but like I said, it made sense.

As the action scenes and the dialogues got more and more intense, it became obvious the fact that the end of the war was near. And boy, let me tell you, the final battle was just incredible. I'm not saying this because I was deeply invested in the characters, I'm telling you this because it's the absolute truth. The ending of this novel is intense. It's full of pain, agony, love, heartbreak, loss, and most of all, sacrifice. It's perfect. Characters die, blood is spilled, but by the time you finish reading this incredible series, you just get the sense that it's over, and that it's okay. Because after such a huge climax, you're ready to let these characters go.

Courtney Allison Moulton is a sensational writer, and I'm so glad I decided to pick Angelfire up two years ago. I'm glad I took the time to devour this trilogy - otherwise, I wouldn't have fallen in love with Will, I wouldn't have grown to love Ellie and root for her so much, and I wouldn't have become so invested in the secondary characters - Cadan, Nathaniel, Eva, even Bastian. If you're wondering if Shadows in the Silence is a good ending to this trilogy, rest assured: It is. Just pick it up and read it. What the hell are you waiting for? (less)

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Feb 02, 2013 marie is currently reading it

Shelves: angels, 2013-releases, kick-ass-heroines, damn-hot-guys, out-january-2013

No. NO! 2013? Please tell me i'm hallucinating and it's not 2013 i'm seeing on my screen.
*screams in front of computer*

Yeah. Screaming's the only thing i can do now. And cry.

Really, 2013?? You have got to be kidding me.

--------update 6/7/12--------------

OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD!!

That cover rocks! I mean, IT'S FREAKING GORGEOUS!!

Oh, dear Ellie, please, please save my dearest Will!
i'll sell my soul to a demon if i have to!

SAVE HIMMMMM!!!!!
:))))

Wait, is that the final title?

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Jan 10, 2013 Kris rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, paranormal, ya-books

This review is so, so very hard to write. I have been a huge fan of the Angelfire trilogy thus far, and I really wanted to fall madly in love with this book like with the prior two books. The battle scenes are just as epic as always, especially the final battle, and I love the characters as always. I'm also still a fan of the gory details of battle. A book where the fate of the world is at stake never has felt real to me unless there lives are lost and sacrifices are made. However, the beginning...more This review is so, so very hard to write. I have been a huge fan of the Angelfire trilogy thus far, and I really wanted to fall madly in love with this book like with the prior two books. The battle scenes are just as epic as always, especially the final battle, and I love the characters as always. I'm also still a fan of the gory details of battle. A book where the fate of the world is at stake never has felt real to me unless there lives are lost and sacrifices are made. However, the beginning of this book threw me off, and it took me a while to get back into the story.

Ellie has always been a strong-willed, independent girl that will have her way or else (and it's no threat when she's deadly with two blades close at hand), so it wasn't like I didn't expect her to be as rash as always. However, she really loses it at the beginning of this book. Remember what happened at the end of book two? Now, Ellie's love for Will and the desire to save him blinds the better judgment that she should have with all the fighting experience she's accumulated and remembered from some past lives. She runs around far more recklessly than she's had in the past in a way that threatens both her life and that of Will whose life depends on her living to find the cure, and that alienated me at the beginning of the book. As much as Ellie's emotions overriding her common sense is justified, I don't think I'm a good match-up with characters letting passion override their rationality.

Things do get better when Will comes back in the picture. Those who have been a fan of Will and Ellie's steamy chemistry will swoon many times over as the two grow closer together. Their love scenes are a welcome break from the high-tension chase to find the tools necessary to defeat Sammael and Lilith. I adore seeing the two of them together; at the same time, I prefer more action and adventure in a story, and there was just a tad bit too much romance for my liking. Cadan is just as sweet as always; there is one scene where he loses control of himself, but Ellie knocks him back to his senses. I still love the guy to death and enjoyed learning more about his past. As much as I support Will + Ellie, it's heartbreaking how he has to watch the girl he loves be with another guy.

Ellie and her comrades have come so far since book one. It's been a joy watching them grow and seeing how far they've come. More friends are lost even as more comrades are gained, and Ellie must put all that she cares about on the line to save the world from the clutches of the Fallen and the demonic reapers that serve them. In the journey to the final battle, much has been sacrificed. Lives, hopes, and dreams. While this book wasn't my favorite in the series, it is still a good, solid conclusion to the Angelfire trilogy.

--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.(less)

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Jun 30, 2012 Nandanie marked it as have-to-read

Shelves: books-that-need-to-be-released

Are. You. Serious.? 2013?!?!?!?!?!?!?! DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG THAT IS? 2012 JUST STARTED! Grrr....

(view spoiler) Please God, tell me that this is WRONG! That it is some type of typo. I knew that the second book came out in February, but can't the third come out in like December? Or like January of next year? Please don't let it be some time in November of 2013, I'll kill myself!

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Mar 22, 2013 Preeti Joan rated it 5 of 5 stars

..
...
....

Yes. I was that speechless. I don't know what to feel. Well, I am relieved- happy even, that the trilogy ended beautifully. It was perfect! Beyond what I was imagining. I have grown to love every character in the trilogy, even the minor ones, like Ava, Kate, Ethan and Marcus. It's a bit sad knowing that this great trilogy is over. I'd miss the kick-ass battling scenes, and the not-so-cheesy teenage love drama. My eyes are still glassy while composing this review. It's just a wonderful e...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Cathy Kitten rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: action, adventure, demons, favorites_oh-so-yummy

5 stars *****

WOW. Freakin’ AWESOME. PERFECT!!! Insanely beautiful. Utterly captivating. I don’t know what else to say! WHATTA FINALE!
After reading this book..GAAWWWDD!!

description

You know the feeling when your favorite series has finally ended??

description

I can’t believe it’s over.
I’m so glad it ended just the way I liked it. After months of waiting for this epic finale, I can now die with a smile on my face! Haha!

Anyway, let’s start the short review.

From the second book, Will has been bitten by the reaper named Ri...more

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Apr 02, 2013 DJ (Dakota Jane) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Oh I just loved it! I'd have to say that this is the best love story I have ever read of! It had THE best ending. Courtney Allison Moulton has a true gift to be a writer. I have never read any trilogy that has been as successful with keeping the entertainment going and not slacking off. This story is unlike anything I've ever read of. It's unique! But the author is very cruel at the same time that she is incredible with stories...she leaves you expecting the story to go one way because that's ho...more

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Mar 09, 2013 Apen rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 08, 2013 Alice Liu rated it 2 of 5 stars

I loved the first two books of this series, so it pains me to give this final installment such a low rating. The story is about how emotions set us apart from the angels and how they are our salvation, yet the entire book feels emotionally detached. Ellie spends a lot of time SAYING she's sad but almost no time BEING sad. Supposedly deep emotional periods are immediately negated by incongruous actions. By the end of the book when there is so much suffering and grief, I just stopped believing Ell...more

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Feb 23, 2013 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to be honest, this is not my favorite series. I love Ellie and Will's relationship but I don't really like Ellie. Especially in the beginning of this book, she's very rude and almost cold to those around her, even Nana. I realize Will was dying and she was stressed but still, that's no excuse to treat the other people in your life like crap. Trust me, I've been there.

Luckily I adore Will, and surprisingly Cadan, enough that this book was pretty good. The fight scenes were amazing and I re...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Claudia rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. adkfa;dsjfajfkadj[f;skdfja;ifdadfakj;da HOLY CRAP. I just finished this book and I cant even control myself right now.

This book was better than I ever thought possible. Everything was so unexpected, it kept me on my toes the entire time. I thought more of the book would be of Ellie's journey to find the cure for Will, but I liked how long Moulten made it. And Cadan is the perfect guy. He is willing to do anything for her, even help save the life of the one Ellie loves even though he knows she'l...more adkfa;dsjfajfkadj[f;skdfja;ifdadfakj;da HOLY CRAP. I just finished this book and I cant even control myself right now.

This book was better than I ever thought possible. Everything was so unexpected, it kept me on my toes the entire time. I thought more of the book would be of Ellie's journey to find the cure for Will, but I liked how long Moulten made it. And Cadan is the perfect guy. He is willing to do anything for her, even help save the life of the one Ellie loves even though he knows she'll never love him the way he wants her to. Once Will is cured, they waste no time getting back into fighting mode and continue their mission. By the middle of book, Ellie and Will finally take their relationship to the next level, and the sex scene couldnt have been written anymore perfectly. It gave away enough details to know what was happening, but it wasnt vulgar or going 50 shades of grey on us. I love how no matter what Will is always so gentle with Ellie, and it makes thier bond even stronger. Once Ellie finds out she'll have to die to defeat Sammael and Lilith, she doesnt know if she'll return or if she'll be dead for good. My heart continually broke for Will because he of the 500 years he's known her, they've only been together for a couple months. Right when they're growing in their relationship, he had to lose her yet again. By the end of the book I didnt know whether I wanted to smile or cry because everything was so bittersweet. They ended the war for good, but Ellie and other friends had to die. She died in Will's arms for the last time, and I was on the verge of tears.

The only thing I was a little confused about was the epilogue. It was only two months later, and Will and Marcus were helping Kate move into her dorm room. Will didnt seem as depressed as I thought he'd be, but I guess he just had to clinge onto the small amount of hope he had left. He saw something that looked like a shooting star come out of the sky, but when he checks it out, he drops to his knees discovering that it is Ellie coming back to him. I did not understand one bit why she returned to Earth by falling out of the sky like a star, and I dont understand why he said "Gabriel" and not "Ellie" when he saw her, since she was always his Ellie. The only reason I could think of was that it set up the last sentence of the trilogy, when she says "Call me Ellie." It shows that she didnt lose herself and that they are going to live happily ever after together, but I wish the end would have gone into more detail. It would be perfect if Moulten wrote a novella about Ellie after she died, how she fell back to Earth, and her and Will's life togther after the war. That would tie up the loose ends and my life would be complete :)(less)

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Feb 09, 2013 Ferdy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels, blah, blah-romance, boring, boring-main-characters, boring-crap-hero, cheesy, cringey, cringey-romance, demons, disappointing, emo-hero, love-triangle, mary-sue-bitch-heroine, martyr-heroine, meh, meh-heroine, orphan-heroine, rubbish, rubbish-worldbuilding, tstl-heroine, whiny-annoying-blah-heroine, why-me, wtf

Spoilers

Meh. Didn't find the story or the characters engaging.
The whole plot consisted of Ellie and co trying to find different people/things:

1. Ellie and Cadan try to locate the Grigori angel, Antares.. So that Antares can heal Will… Who for some silly reason was on death's door at the end of the previous book. Why bother with a cliffhanger like that when it's so bloody obvious Will's not going to be killed off?? It's just a cheap and lazy way to get readers to buy the next book.
Anyway, whil...more Spoilers

Meh. Didn't find the story or the characters engaging.
The whole plot consisted of Ellie and co trying to find different people/things:

1. Ellie and Cadan try to locate the Grigori angel, Antares.. So that Antares can heal Will… Who for some silly reason was on death's door at the end of the previous book. Why bother with a cliffhanger like that when it's so bloody obvious Will's not going to be killed off?? It's just a cheap and lazy way to get readers to buy the next book.
Anyway, whilst Ellie tried to find Antares, she naturally moaned, cried, whinged and complained about every single little thing especially her pwecious Will… it wasn't fun to read.

2. Next, Ellie was desperate to find some Grimoire of some sort as it contained a deus ex machinas type spell that would make her powerful enough to kill Samael, Lilith and the gang. It was predictable and dull.

3. Ellie and co also travelled around to find a nephil, a ring and a bunch of different angelic reapers… it was all so unimaginative and simple. There was no tension, twists or genuine drama… And I don't find good vs evil plots all that interesting when all that's needed for good to win is magical weapons/spells/people… it doesn't make for exciting reading.

-Ellie was hugely unlikeable. She was useless for a good portion of the book — there were a number of times where she just stood, watched and kindly described innocent humans being killed… you know instead of actually taking action and using her super speshul snowflake powers to protect them. Ugh.
Her rudeness was another turn off — she was rude to Cadan for no good reason. And worst of all she called a grieving girl a bitch because the girl deigned to blame Ellie for her friends dying. Ellie for some reason thought she had a right to be pissed even though it was actually her fault that the girl's friends were killed. The only bitch was Ellie.

-I wasn't impressed with Ellie's reaction when she met one of her descendants from a past life. She didn't feel any emotion or wonder at discovering her great great whatever grandchildren. She didn't even think about all the kids she had in the past or what became of them. Did they all live long happy lives? Ellie didn't give a shit. It was sad how little she cared about them — the only emotion she showed in regard to having been a mother was her being upset that Will must have found it hard to watch her have a husband and family. It just showed that she had the depth of a puddle. Where was her regret at not seeing her children grow up? Where was her need to find out what happened to them? Where was her joy at finding her children's children? Nowhere. It was all about Will.

-Why was Cadan in love with Ellie? I guess I could understand Will's love for her since he'd worked with her over centuries and had probably gotten used to her like you do a pair of old slippers but Cadan didn't even know Ellie and when he did meet her, she was nothing but shrill and bitchy to him. So why did he love her?

-Why did Ellie keep referring to Ethan as Ethan Stone. Every other sentence was Ethan Stone this and Ethan Stone that… Why did I need to keep 'hearing' his full name instead of just his first name?? It wasn't like they were any other Ethan's around!

All in all, I wasn't entertained. The plot was boring, Ellie was bland, the romance was cliched and the side characters were flat. Not good.(less)

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Dec 04, 2012 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow. Wow. Wow. In love. Courtney does it again with the final book in the Angelfire series. She steps up her game and finished it with a bang. This book could not have been better, there is so much going on that you will be on an emotional roller coaster . You just feel so much, and you feel like you know the characters well enough to be their friends.

In this book Ellie is simply amazing. There has never been a more well written strong character than her. She has come so far from book one, that...more

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Feb 03, 2013 Dlrox12345 rated it 4 of 5 stars

oh WOW. I can't stop repeating this phrase in my head since I finished reading this book. oh wow. the Angelfire series sure ended with a Big Bang. I mean it was funny, had plenty of romance, had great battle scenes and just enough sense of danger to get my blood roaring(by that I mean a lot of DANGER). it was every thing I could have asked for. and many of the mysteries in the other two books were given some answers. but I do have one question for the author. how the hell did she come back?. I m...more

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Jan 23, 2013 Brittany Rehage rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shadows in the Silence blew me away. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading and as soon as I finished, I had that feeling. There's really no way to describe that feeling, but you know when you have it.

Ellie really comes into her own in this novel. She's strong, determined, and really figures out who she is. I really liked the focus on Ellie and her humanity. Moulton did an amazing job of speaking about what makes humans human without sounding like she was trying to preach; s...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Ramonelle Hiteroza rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-can-t-wait-to-have, adorable-couple, favorite-couple-ever, favorites, kick-ass-heroine, love-triangle, series-ender, swoon-worthy-male-lead, ultimate-book-crush, young-adult-paranormal

Wow. Moulton certainly wrapped up the Angelfire series with a bang. I LOVED IT! I admit I liked the first two books but did not really make my favorite list BUT Shadows in the Silence absolutely swept me off my feet. It’s the edge-of-the-seat kind of book and action-packed, and the fast pacing does not leave for slow moments.

I feel both happy and sad that this series has ecome to an end. I’ve really enjoyed Ellie’s struggles and triumph and her perilous journey to saving Heaven and Earth from d...more Wow. Moulton certainly wrapped up the Angelfire series with a bang. I LOVED IT! I admit I liked the first two books but did not really make my favorite list BUT Shadows in the Silence absolutely swept me off my feet. It’s the edge-of-the-seat kind of book and action-packed, and the fast pacing does not leave for slow moments.

I feel both happy and sad that this series has ecome to an end. I’ve really enjoyed Ellie’s struggles and triumph and her perilous journey to saving Heaven and Earth from demonic army. I’ll surely miss the characters I’ve grown to love. Ellie, Will, Ava, Marcus, even Ethan Stone. The epic love of Ellie and Will.

So, in the final book, Ellie is hell bent on saving Will from his fatal demonic bite. She enlists Cadan’s help to finding a Grigori who has the cure. There’s a dreading love triangle in this book but I loved Ellie for squashing it immediately. I felt sorry for Cadan, I’ve always had soft side for this demonic reaper to the point I’ve even rooted for him, BUT it’s always been Will for her. I’m hoping for a good ending for him, nonetheless. So, after getting Will cured, she dropped the bomb of him being Cadan’s brother. Oooh. Obviously, Will didn’t take the news quite so well but I’m quite happy how it worked out in the end.

Oh, and of course, Ellie has to prepare for the impending face down with Sammael and Lilith which is no easy that requires she ascend to her archangel self, Gabriel. She also has to use the hallowed glaive which will eventually kill her mortal body and risk her being gone forever. This point has to be the most heartbreaking part of this book, in the whole series actually. Will’s devastation over this touched me. Poor Will.

The best I liked about this whole series has to be Ellie herself. Boy, this girl is way hardcore! I can say that she’s one of the fiercest and strongest heroine I’ve ever read about. Or as Cadan put it, “the pretty badass angel”. She’s come a long way from the girl coming to terms with the fact that she’s an archangel to someone wielding the Khopesh swords like a true warrior. The archangel with a human soul who loves fiercely.

And, oh, Will. He’s still his awesome self and more. I loved him and Ellie together even when they frustrate each other. They do a lot, in fact. It was also great to see another side of Will. An edge to his character that adds to making him an enthralling character.

”Will was good and sweet and kind, but I’d seen his temper. His relentless determination also included kicking as. And when Will kicked ass, he was very thorough. He kicked every last inch of it.”

All in all, this book is a stunning conclusion to a great series. It has to be one of the best angel series out there so far. It has the wonderful story, amazing characters, breath-taking romance, some really heartbreaking moments and oh yes, a happy ending. Definitely recommending this. Dig in.
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Oct 29, 2012 Valia Lind rated it 5 of 5 stars

oh.....SO. MANY. FEELS!!!!!!!! I can't even..... THIS SERIES = EPIC!!!

Posted on: http://wordsareinnermusic.blogspot.com

I can’t believe I’m writing a review for the last book in the Angelfire series. I have the most bittersweet feelings about this. If you’ve been following me for a while you know my love for Courtney’s writing and these particular characters.
Shadows in the Silence picks up where Wings of the Wicked left off. If you’ve read my review of Wings of the Wicked you know how many fee...more oh.....SO. MANY. FEELS!!!!!!!! I can't even..... THIS SERIES = EPIC!!!

Posted on: http://wordsareinnermusic.blogspot.com

I can’t believe I’m writing a review for the last book in the Angelfire series. I have the most bittersweet feelings about this. If you’ve been following me for a while you know my love for Courtney’s writing and these particular characters.
Shadows in the Silence picks up where Wings of the Wicked left off. If you’ve read my review of Wings of the Wicked you know how many feels I had for that book. There was SO MUCH going on. It broke my heart, it really did. Ellie is on a mission to find a cure for Will and she goes to one person she knows will be able to help, Cadan. Ellie will stop at nothing to save the one she loves, even dealing with forces of the evil. But is Cadan really evil? In order to save the world, Ellie will have to push herself beyond anything she could’ve imagined. Is she strong enough?
Guys, I don’t even know where to start. I’m so conflicted about this review because I want to say so much but at the same time I can’t.

I loved this book to pieces. Ellie stands as one of my favorite heroines in young adult literature right now. She’s strong and fierce. Real and emotional. She’s every girl and yet she’s not. I think Courtney created a persona that inspires and really pushes you beyond the norm.
Will. *le sigh* I can’t even talk about this boy without swooning. He’s everything a girl needs. Strong, capable, a hopeless romantic. I just want to hug him to pieces. I loved watching Ellie and Will together, their relationship so sweet and real. They are so not your typical YA couple. You should’ve heard Courtney and I discuss this particular topic *snickers*

I have the utmost love for this series and these characters. I adored Cadan, Katie, Marcus and every other character Courtney penned on that paper. Seriously, it’s hard to pick just one thing that I enjoyed about this series. I can’t wait to see what Courtney will come up with next. I recommend these books to anyone who loves good writing coupled with a strong breathtaking romance and action that keeps you on the corner of your seat. You did well Courtney, you did well! (less)

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Feb 24, 2013 The Twins Read rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nicole-s-shelf, purchased

This review can originally be found at The Twins Read .

The last book in the Angelfire trilogy is undeniably the best book in the series. In Angelfire Ellie is a bratty, whiny, too spoiled teenager who has issues with her father and is vapid and frivolous to a fault. In Wings of the Wicked we watch as Ellie's character grows. She's matured a bit and despite still being a tad bit frivolous, she realizes how important her role is in regard to the safety and protection of humans and the world. Ever...more This review can originally be found at The Twins Read .

The last book in the Angelfire trilogy is undeniably the best book in the series. In Angelfire Ellie is a bratty, whiny, too spoiled teenager who has issues with her father and is vapid and frivolous to a fault. In Wings of the Wicked we watch as Ellie's character grows. She's matured a bit and despite still being a tad bit frivolous, she realizes how important her role is in regard to the safety and protection of humans and the world. Everything culminates in Shadows in the Silence, war is on the horizon and Ellie has to make a choice - to stay human and watch the world burn or to find a way to become the archangel Gabriel and relinquish her hold on her humanity and with it become the cold, merciless machine that is an archangel.

Shadows in the Silence starts off where the second book ends - with that nasty, nasty cliffhanger. While I liked how Ellie immediately stepped into action to save her beloved Will, I'm glad that this didn't take up a large amount of time. It wasn't exactly easy but really, Ellie is determined and nothing will stand in her way. With the threat of war looming overhead, Ellie races against the demonic reapers to find the artifacts she needs to revert back to her former glory because Ellie, and her band of misfits, are the only ones standing between the human's survival and certain death in the hands of reapers. It's not easy because there's a super powered fallen angel after her and then there's that fear that if she does revert back to archangel status she will lose her humanity and in the process lose her emotions and feelings and her connection with Will. But Ellie knows what she has to do and does it with her bravest face on - she'll go down fighting.

I liked how the characters developed in the final installment. Ellie is as brash and determined as ever, and in this book we see more of her archangel side peeking through her humanity. Moulton manages to blend both sides of Ellie perfectly and she just grows into her role as Preliator. Humanity has a fighting chance now that Ellie's matured and comprehends the gravity of her situation. Her romance with Will is as sweet as ever. Will, after finally succumbing to their passion is determined to never let her go because after 5 centuries of pining after her he finally has her in his arms. And while he's unwilling to let Ellie become an archangel, he begrudgingly does so because he loves her and there's really no other choice left. I think the boy's entitled to be a tad bit selfish when it comes to his beloved. Now Cadan, on the other hand, was never a viable love interest and while I love him to bits and pieces I still could not comprehend his attraction to Ellie. Sure, he sees her as his redemption and while he is an amazing friend and a powerful ally it's obvious that he was destined to have nothing more with Ellie but a strong and wonderful friendship. I suppose love is strange that way.

Shadows in the Silence marks the end of the series. One final battle that ends in a fury of clashing steel blades, death and angelfire and a love strong enough to transcend the barriers between Heaven and Earth, archangel glory and human frailty. (less)

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Feb 03, 2013 Nathan Platt rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 25, 2013 Pandora rated it 4 of 5 stars

I like this book particulary because of the plot and the characters.

There isn't really much to say about this book other then its great.
There was, however, some glitches here and there but that's fine.

-The book had waaaay to many... how do I explain this?
Ellie keeps telling us about how Will is awesome (meaning how much she loves him) and blah blah. Like, on every other two pages or something, seriously. It got annoying.

-Ellie has a big mouth.
Let me elaborate:
Ellie tells many humans and demonic...more

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Feb 27, 2013 MacKayla Lane rated it 5 of 5 stars

Not quite what I expected since I have read Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked. I felt like it was mainly focused on the romance than dealing with the REAL problem although I do love a good romance there was so much emphasis and repetition on romantic feelings. And not to mention I felt like there was WAY too much going on BEFORE I even got to part two so just imagine the rest of the novel.

Nonetheless, this was still a great novel. The storyline remained consistent and there were so many surpris...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Megan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Full Review on Amethyst Daydreams blog- http://amethystdaydreams.blogspot.com...

I really enjoyed this last book in the Angelfire series. There was tons of action and adventure. Ellie has to rise above her limitations and do so much on her own. Cadan was my favorite character in this book. He's grown on me so much. He was really great. Will, of course, was awesome. Will is just... adorable. He really is. His love and respect for Ellie is so sweet. Even when she's wearing ridiculous pink boots and...more

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Feb 02, 2013 Melissa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reads

If you had to choose between staying alive and saving the rest of the world, what would you do? What if you weren't the one to die, but if it was someone you loved?

Shadows in the Silence is a wonderful finale to the Angelfire series by Courtney Allison Moulton. It has all of the elements that made the first two books of the series so enjoyable for me. Ellie is still the strong heroine for this story that she has been in the previous books, with just enough vulnerability and weakness to make her...more If you had to choose between staying alive and saving the rest of the world, what would you do? What if you weren't the one to die, but if it was someone you loved?

Shadows in the Silence is a wonderful finale to the Angelfire series by Courtney Allison Moulton. It has all of the elements that made the first two books of the series so enjoyable for me. Ellie is still the strong heroine for this story that she has been in the previous books, with just enough vulnerability and weakness to make her sympathetic as a character. Things in this world are now horribly dangerous, and getting worse each day as Sammael and Lillith get stronger and stronger, building their army of demons to destroy the world. On top of that Will is slowly dying from the bite of a demonic reaper. So things look grim. Very grim. But Ellie still has not fully tapped into all of her potential, and there is also hope for a cure for Will, so there is hope that guides the action of this book. The only problem is that Ellie might have to become an unfeeling archangel and possibly lose her life forever in order to make everything work out for humanity. And that's a pretty big problem to face for a girl who has just begun to embrace her humanity.

All of the characters I loved from the first books are still here -- Ellie, Will, Cadan, Kate, Marcus, and Ava. But this story is also enriched by the addition of a few new characters who make the story even better as well as throwing a wrench in some of Will and Ellie's preconceived notions about who they are and how they fit into the world.

What I loved:

The epic love story. Let's face it. The thing that really makes this series so amazing is the love between Ellie and Will, her guardian. Sure, there is danger and mystery and death and destruction and the potential end of the world. But it is Will's overwhelming love for Ellie and his desire to protect her in all things, and Ellie's love for Will and her desire to be with him despite all warnings against it ... that is what makes this story epic in my mind. I LOVE Will as a character. So much. As amazing as his love for Ellie has been in the first two books in the series, I was able to see the power of that love even more fully in this novel. But that love becomes a hindrance at a certain part of the book, and Will and Ellie have to decide if their love is bigger than the fate of the rest of the world. They definitely have to struggle with this a bit when it becomes clear that one of them might not make it through the attempt to save humanity.

Cadan!

Oh Cadan, I have to apologize to you. You were just so amazingly awesome in this book as you did all that you could to help Ellie find a cure for the man she loves, doing this despite your overwhelming love for her. You helped Ellie at every turn. But I have to admit that as I was reading I was starting to worry that it was all going to end up being some big hoax, that I would find out that you were really working against Ellie and still working for the demons the whole time. I didn't want this to happen. I was going to be really, REALLY upset if this happened. But because I worried that you were going to abandon Ellie in the end I kept my heart guarded for this entire book because I did not want to have it torn out of my body and squeezed to death right in front of my eyes. So I'm sorry. I was just as bad as almost everyone else in this book who didn't put all their faith in you. Luckily, Ellie did.

All I can say is ... CADAN IS FREAKING AWESOME!!!!!! I loved this character so much. He may be my favorite of the whole series, even though I was always Team Will when it came to Ellie's heart. Still, Cadan was such a contradiction in a world of extreme black and white reality. I wish that there could be a spin-off series involving him because I still want to know so much more about him. And seriously ... this boy deserves a Happily Ever After romance. Seriously.

The themes of this book were wonderful. I love books that make me think. Ellie's connection to her humanity allowed her to feel emotions, a thing that did not affect other angels. Angels were meant to be soldiers, beings who obey without question and without emotion. But Ellie's humanity allowed her to feel things like remorse and love. The angels believed those emotions to be weakness, but Ellie finds that to be her greatest strength. And then there is the issue of whether it is better to sacrifice your own happiness and life in order to save others. It might be easy to make that decision on a theoretical level, but a bit harder when there are others left behind who will suffer when you are gone.

The ending was perfect ... but I kind of wish that it was maybe two or three pages longer. I wanted to know more. I wanted more Will and Ellie. Still, I don't know if there could have been any more perfect ending line for this series than the one Courtney chose. Brilliant.

There is death in this story. There is the pain of loss. But that has been par for the course in this series. People are going to die in this struggle between good and evil. There are times in this book where I could not read fast enough. I needed to know what happened next. The good thing is ... Good prevails in the end. Love totally conquers all! Yay for that. The ride I was taken on to get to the satisfying ending was well worth my time this week. I highly recommend this book as a fitting conclusion to a wonderful series. You won't be disappointed. Four stars!(less)

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Feb 06, 2013 Laraine rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal-romance, young-adult

This was a really fun series to read. There was a lot of action, wit and romance. I like the angel mythology in this one better than Unearthly since it lent itself to biblical references. This last book really dug deeper into the bones of the myth and it suddenly wasn't just a fluff book anymore. It's very fast paced but the characters still grew on me. Truthfully, it could easily have been made into a saga if the story wasn't moving so fast. Highlights would include bad-ass fight scenes, funny...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, angels, name-that-paranormal-creature, young-adult

I thought this book was pretty terrible. For starters, the plot dragged ("and now we are going here...and now we are going here...and now we are going here. The End.")

And I have a huge problem with Ellie. I can't imagine that teenage girls are this shallow and superficial. And if they are, surely they would reconsider if they found out they were an archangel destined to save the world.

One minute, Ellie was fighting monsters and saving mankind. Two seconds later, she was pining over boys and br...more

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Shadows in the Silence (Angelfire #3)

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