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The Registry #3
The Alliance
To overthrow a brutal dictator and free her country, a brave young woman will risk her life and liberty to spark a revolution in this explosive final installment in Shannon Stoker’s electrifying Registry trilogy.Mia Morrissey fled to Mexico to escape the government marrying her to someone she did not love. Now, she’s going risk everything so that the rest of America can be free.Going undercover as part of a diplomatic mission, Mia returns to America. But life there is more dangerous than ever as the walls grow ever taller, and the forgotten country faces its most ruthless leader yet, Grant Marsden . . . a shadow from Mia’s past. With the help of Andrew, Carter, and other members of the subversive group Affinity, she embarks on a perilous journey to defeat Grant, bring down the government, and destroy the Registry once and for all.When a terrible betrayal exposes the operation, Mia discovers that her enemies have used her—and so have her friends. Alone and frightened, she’s uncertain who to trust—or whether the mission is worth what she’s sacrificing.With the fate of her friends and the future of her country on the line, Mia knows that her next step may be the last for her . . . and America.
448 pages, Unknown Binding
First published September 2, 2014
17 people are currently reading
571 people want to read
About the author
Shannon Stoker
5 books93 followersShannon Stoker lives in DeKalb, IL. She received her undergraduate and law degree from Northern Illinois University where she now works as the Research Integrity Coordinator. It's not a stretch to say she's a die hard Huskie fan!
When she's not working or writing Shannon spends the majority of her time playing with her terrier mix Nucky or her husband.
She loves watching horror movies, including those straight to DVD classics most people never heard of. If she wasn't an attorney or an author she would have been a beautician and is constantly bugging her friends to come over and let Shannon play with their hair.
When she's not working or writing Shannon spends the majority of her time playing with her terrier mix Nucky or her husband.
She loves watching horror movies, including those straight to DVD classics most people never heard of. If she wasn't an attorney or an author she would have been a beautician and is constantly bugging her friends to come over and let Shannon play with their hair.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 13, 2023
2.5 rounded up. This series turned out to be pretty violent when all was said and done. I had honestly hoped for a bit more depth, clarity, and description to the characters. I would have traded for those things if it meant not including as many characters (I felt like I was juggling a few dozen at times?) or not including so many scenes of unfiltered hatred and villainy. Which is fine for some, I’m sure there’s someone who finds entertainment in Grant’s chapters. Just not me. I don’t want to read 200 pages of nefarious torture. This series is fine if you liked YA dystopian series and are looking for something more action/thriller based.
August 20, 2014
Wow Shannon, you truly have a gift for capturing the mind. :) I look forward to more.
September 5, 2014
I love how all the loose ends get wrapped up in this and all of the key characters fall into place.
September 16, 2014
This was a really great series!
August 9, 2014
Review from an ARC for a fair and honest review.
Love, separation, war, peace, the bigger picture. Does being right mean never doing something wrong? Along with filling us in on Mia, Andrew and their rag tag crew, still running from the militant and tech. supplied Grant Marsden and the US Government, The Alliance tries to answer that question.
I'll be honest, the first book was just ok, and the second got better, the 3rd is the best of the series. It's full of (finally) fully developed and rounded characters and surrounding area detail. The scenes are vibrant and you feel like you're in the midst of it. Plot twists you didn't see coming (and one or two you did), it's a great mix of challenge, romance, danger, violence and fast action.
Other characters now match the well rounded, fully fleshed, though nauseating personality of Grant Marsden.
Like the previous two books each chapter is headed by an excerpt from another source, and this is continued in fantastic parallel to the on going story, its brilliantly done. The story is much faster paced than the others and it helps the over all picture of this novel.
However, while things pull together, there are also other issues opened and introduced, even leaving the option of a 4th novel to follow.
Love, separation, war, peace, the bigger picture. Does being right mean never doing something wrong? Along with filling us in on Mia, Andrew and their rag tag crew, still running from the militant and tech. supplied Grant Marsden and the US Government, The Alliance tries to answer that question.
I'll be honest, the first book was just ok, and the second got better, the 3rd is the best of the series. It's full of (finally) fully developed and rounded characters and surrounding area detail. The scenes are vibrant and you feel like you're in the midst of it. Plot twists you didn't see coming (and one or two you did), it's a great mix of challenge, romance, danger, violence and fast action.
Other characters now match the well rounded, fully fleshed, though nauseating personality of Grant Marsden.
Like the previous two books each chapter is headed by an excerpt from another source, and this is continued in fantastic parallel to the on going story, its brilliantly done. The story is much faster paced than the others and it helps the over all picture of this novel.
However, while things pull together, there are also other issues opened and introduced, even leaving the option of a 4th novel to follow.
September 1, 2014
I admit that I was a little reticent to continue “The Registry” series, by Shannon Stoker, but the premise was promising enough to get me to give “The Alliance” a try, and I’m glad a did.
While the writing still lacks some polish and over-use of certain words (said being an example), the author showed a great deal of growth in how she handles character interaction and personal thoughts. The backstories sprinkled throughout made the characters feel less like and more like humans. I genuinely began to care about most of them, even the less than likable ones from the previous “Registry” novels.
I loved the beginning of each chapter including the history of how the society came to be using accounts from diaries of the period. It provided answers to questions that had been nagging me from the beginning, and the explanations made perfect sense in the context of the story. The ending was also plausible and satisfying.
I’m very impressed with Stoker’s growth and look forward to seeing what else she publishes.
While the writing still lacks some polish and over-use of certain words (said being an example), the author showed a great deal of growth in how she handles character interaction and personal thoughts. The backstories sprinkled throughout made the characters feel less like and more like humans. I genuinely began to care about most of them, even the less than likable ones from the previous “Registry” novels.
I loved the beginning of each chapter including the history of how the society came to be using accounts from diaries of the period. It provided answers to questions that had been nagging me from the beginning, and the explanations made perfect sense in the context of the story. The ending was also plausible and satisfying.
I’m very impressed with Stoker’s growth and look forward to seeing what else she publishes.
September 28, 2014
The Alliance by Shannon Stoker is book 3, A Registry Novel, and although I haven't yet had the opportunity to read the first two books in that series, I had no problem followin Mia Morrisey's exciting race to defeat an evil politician (who wants to rule the world) and create a revolution against the current system which makes the boys club a style of government. This novel was very fast paced, well written and exciting. Good reading!
Read
September 10, 2014A great end to a great series
I loved how Stoked used journal entries to give her readers more insight into the events leading up to the Registry. If you have enjoyed the rest of the series The Alliance will not disappoint.
I loved how Stoked used journal entries to give her readers more insight into the events leading up to the Registry. If you have enjoyed the rest of the series The Alliance will not disappoint.
July 11, 2014
Review to come, along with a Story Diary that I will create on http://astorydiary.com near release day! Stay tuned.
February 9, 2015
this authors imagination was so on point in this trilogy that I could not put it down. The concept I think is done in some countries on one extent or another.
November 7, 2018
This was obscenely long when compared to the other two, and I'd like to say it was warranted--that the book had a lot going on--but it didn't. Not really. Yes, they're trying to take down the Registry and the mandatory service. Yes, they're also hatching a plan to save Rod. Yes, some people die. But when it was all said and done, I just wanted the book to be done. That's...not how a final installment should make me feel.
I was not a fan of this world-building from day 1, and reading the little snippets from the two 'diaries' at the beginning of each chapter, seeing them slowly conform to the way of thinking that led to this society and the Registry...just...still didn't make me believe in the world. Women fought so hard for equality. The so-called 'urge to have a family' wouldn't make any woman sit down and allow herself to be sold. Not if she's a 21st century woman from America. Like me? Don't want kids. I'm 25, and the 'urge' and I don't even know each other in passing. It's just...ridiculous. I know it was meant to add to the story, the world-building, but it didn't. If anything, it made it less.
All in all, would I recommend this series? Depends. Do you like your dystopians believable, or do you not care? If it's the latter, give this trilogy a go.
I was not a fan of this world-building from day 1, and reading the little snippets from the two 'diaries' at the beginning of each chapter, seeing them slowly conform to the way of thinking that led to this society and the Registry...just...still didn't make me believe in the world. Women fought so hard for equality. The so-called 'urge to have a family' wouldn't make any woman sit down and allow herself to be sold. Not if she's a 21st century woman from America. Like me? Don't want kids. I'm 25, and the 'urge' and I don't even know each other in passing. It's just...ridiculous. I know it was meant to add to the story, the world-building, but it didn't. If anything, it made it less.
All in all, would I recommend this series? Depends. Do you like your dystopians believable, or do you not care? If it's the latter, give this trilogy a go.
August 14, 2020
I have not read the first 2 books in The Registry series, so I imagine that would have helped me fill in the gaps for certain characters and previous actions described in the novel. All in all, it was an enjoyable read. The author needs further polish and growth, which should come with experience; but she has done pretty good in this novel.
October 19, 2017
This book was fabulous!
Only thing is I wish I would have gotten a epilogue of what happened after everything resolved. I needed more of a conclusion.
Only thing is I wish I would have gotten a epilogue of what happened after everything resolved. I needed more of a conclusion.
December 4, 2017
This one took a lot longer to get through then the first two. Less interesting all around but still a good read.
October 7, 2020
Overall the series was good. But too much lovey dovey crap to make it enjoyable. Mia & Andrew got on my nerves.
October 4, 2022
Loved the whole series
December 9, 2014
This review was first published on my Damian Daily blog at http://damiandaily.wordpress.com/2014...
The Alliance is the concluding novel in Shannon Stoker’s Registry trilogy. The dystopian future premise is based upon a world where much of the female population was wiped out in the U.S. Women became valuable, but they also became possessions sold to the highest bidder. Boys were undervalued, to the point of being disposable. They were only able to survive in the world and eventually in the mandatory military system by becoming callous and willing to do what it takes to thrive in such an environment.
In my interview with Shannon Stoker after the release of her debut novel, The Registry, she discussed the story arc with me a bit. She implied that the main character, Mia Morrissey, would grow throughout the series from a sheltered and naive girl to an independent and strong leader. Throughout the progression of the trilogy, we saw the evolution of this young woman as she grew in depth, learning to make decisions for herself and willing to take action to see them through.
“Like the water washing away the oils from Mia’s scalp, some things became clear to her now. If she were a symbol to the world of what was wrong in her home country she wouldn’t have to deal with this persecution. But Mia wanted more than that. She was ready to have a real place in the upcoming rebellion. That was much more valuable than anyone’s opinion of her.”
At points, I found the primary antagonist, Grant Marsden, to be almost unbelievably evil. In fact, I mentioned this to Shannon Stoker when I interviewed her. She promised that the second two books would deal more with his background story. In this third and final book, Stoker also used a writing technique of providing snippets from journals or memories of past characters, ones who were crucial in developing this dystopian futuristic society. The combination of background stories served the overall story arc well, giving the reader insight into how the whole system came about, and the almost immediate impact it had on changing the way people thought about the genders of men and women.
I love stories with strong female characters. As a reader, I could relate to Mia’s struggle with deciding who to trust, while also learning to trust her own instincts. I find that we sometimes mistake trusting others for vulnerability. Sure, some may deceive or hurt us, but ultimately, when we do develop bonds with people worthy of our trust and respect, we are the stronger for it. Shannon Stoker was able to elegantly convey this theme throughout the series, culminating in the aptly named The Alliance.
The Alliance is the concluding novel in Shannon Stoker’s Registry trilogy. The dystopian future premise is based upon a world where much of the female population was wiped out in the U.S. Women became valuable, but they also became possessions sold to the highest bidder. Boys were undervalued, to the point of being disposable. They were only able to survive in the world and eventually in the mandatory military system by becoming callous and willing to do what it takes to thrive in such an environment.
In my interview with Shannon Stoker after the release of her debut novel, The Registry, she discussed the story arc with me a bit. She implied that the main character, Mia Morrissey, would grow throughout the series from a sheltered and naive girl to an independent and strong leader. Throughout the progression of the trilogy, we saw the evolution of this young woman as she grew in depth, learning to make decisions for herself and willing to take action to see them through.
“Like the water washing away the oils from Mia’s scalp, some things became clear to her now. If she were a symbol to the world of what was wrong in her home country she wouldn’t have to deal with this persecution. But Mia wanted more than that. She was ready to have a real place in the upcoming rebellion. That was much more valuable than anyone’s opinion of her.”
At points, I found the primary antagonist, Grant Marsden, to be almost unbelievably evil. In fact, I mentioned this to Shannon Stoker when I interviewed her. She promised that the second two books would deal more with his background story. In this third and final book, Stoker also used a writing technique of providing snippets from journals or memories of past characters, ones who were crucial in developing this dystopian futuristic society. The combination of background stories served the overall story arc well, giving the reader insight into how the whole system came about, and the almost immediate impact it had on changing the way people thought about the genders of men and women.
I love stories with strong female characters. As a reader, I could relate to Mia’s struggle with deciding who to trust, while also learning to trust her own instincts. I find that we sometimes mistake trusting others for vulnerability. Sure, some may deceive or hurt us, but ultimately, when we do develop bonds with people worthy of our trust and respect, we are the stronger for it. Shannon Stoker was able to elegantly convey this theme throughout the series, culminating in the aptly named The Alliance.
November 22, 2014
Thanks to LibraryThing and William Morrow for the opportunity to read this series and provide an honest review.
I've read this entire series and found it both interesting and entirely freaky. It's hard for me to read about what happens to the United States in these books and not be concerned that there's a real chance that something similar could happen today. While the shift toward viewing women as property is facilitated by a massive plague in the series (a side story that I wish got more attention), I don't think it's far-fetched that, given the right set of circumstances, it could totally happen today. This was something that had me thinking quite a lot while reading and long after I finished. It's a terrifying thought--and while I may sound like I'm paranoid--those things going on with our government right now make me so frustrated that the denigration of women's rights even more wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. Okay, I'll get off my soap-box now, but if in any way you're interested in this sort of thing, I recommend this series. The writing itself leaves something (okay, a lot of things) to be desired, though the story is nearly compelling enough to carry it. Stoker isn't much for showing, so the story itself is really all telling (it's a good example of the difference, actually), but it's interesting and while Mia's a bit hard to believe or relate to, I did find myself rooting for her and her cause. Basically, I'd recommend these books to those who have a bit of a political bent and enjoy a particularly dark dystopian.
I've read this entire series and found it both interesting and entirely freaky. It's hard for me to read about what happens to the United States in these books and not be concerned that there's a real chance that something similar could happen today. While the shift toward viewing women as property is facilitated by a massive plague in the series (a side story that I wish got more attention), I don't think it's far-fetched that, given the right set of circumstances, it could totally happen today. This was something that had me thinking quite a lot while reading and long after I finished. It's a terrifying thought--and while I may sound like I'm paranoid--those things going on with our government right now make me so frustrated that the denigration of women's rights even more wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. Okay, I'll get off my soap-box now, but if in any way you're interested in this sort of thing, I recommend this series. The writing itself leaves something (okay, a lot of things) to be desired, though the story is nearly compelling enough to carry it. Stoker isn't much for showing, so the story itself is really all telling (it's a good example of the difference, actually), but it's interesting and while Mia's a bit hard to believe or relate to, I did find myself rooting for her and her cause. Basically, I'd recommend these books to those who have a bit of a political bent and enjoy a particularly dark dystopian.
April 14, 2015
My favorite book of the series! This isn't generally the type of book I read, but I am genuinely thankful that I found Shannon Stoker's Registry series.
I really liked the development that happened with Mia. Through additional exposure to good, confident, women she starts understanding what makes a woman strong, as well as having a mentor/role model. She found inspiration in her life.
The journey to destroy the registry and break the stranglehold the government has on the population continues. Plenty of incidents along the way of this journey, including picking up some characters who we have previously met. I won't go into details on anything else because it should be discovered by the readers.
The series is fantastic and I would recommend to anyone. One thing that I especially loved in The Registry and The Alliance were the entries at the start of each chapter; entries from books that indoctrinate the population or journal entries. They were also included in the Collection, but to me were a little obscure. They do a fantastic job of giving readers additional insights into the mindset of the people and the society that is being portrayed. In addition to a fun read, I also love that the book gives me reason to think about our current society and draw parallels to our existance.
All in all, I feel Shannon Stoker had knocked it out of the park with this series. I look forward to re-reading it periodically.
I really liked the development that happened with Mia. Through additional exposure to good, confident, women she starts understanding what makes a woman strong, as well as having a mentor/role model. She found inspiration in her life.
The journey to destroy the registry and break the stranglehold the government has on the population continues. Plenty of incidents along the way of this journey, including picking up some characters who we have previously met. I won't go into details on anything else because it should be discovered by the readers.
The series is fantastic and I would recommend to anyone. One thing that I especially loved in The Registry and The Alliance were the entries at the start of each chapter; entries from books that indoctrinate the population or journal entries. They were also included in the Collection, but to me were a little obscure. They do a fantastic job of giving readers additional insights into the mindset of the people and the society that is being portrayed. In addition to a fun read, I also love that the book gives me reason to think about our current society and draw parallels to our existance.
All in all, I feel Shannon Stoker had knocked it out of the park with this series. I look forward to re-reading it periodically.
April 16, 2015
What an ending to this series!!!
I was intrigued to finish this series because I was unsure how it would unfold. I was thrilled to learn more of the backstories to some of these supporting characters. It made the connection between myself and these characters enhanced and I genuinely started to care for them some.
Mia stayed true to her original character which surprised me a bit. Yes, she grew some, but she truly did not waver in who she was from the get go. Grant was still as creepy and bothersome as he was in the beginning. Perhaps he was even more. I was grossed out by him in so many ways that it made him an amazingly complex character.
I felt that this story evolved well and was not as cheesy as it could have become. I gave this story a 4 out of 5 stars. And I was thrilled that this completed the story with the hint that it could go on if she so chose but could end here very happily. I am very excited to see where this author goes onto from here.
February 8, 2015
What an ending to this series!!!
I was intrigued to finish this series because I was unsure how it would unfold. I was thrilled to learn more of the backstories to some of these supporting characters. It made the connection between myself and these characters enhanced and I genuinely started to care for them some.
Mia stayed true to her original character which surprised me a bit. Yes, she grew some, but she truly did not waver in who she was from the get go. Grant was still as creepy and bothersome as he was in the beginning. Perhaps he was even more. I was grossed out by him in so many ways that it made him an amazingly complex character.
I felt that this story evolved well and was not as cheesy as it could have become. I gave this story a 4 out of 5 stars. And I was thrilled that this completed the story with the hint that it could go on if she so chose but could end here very happily. I am very excited to see where this author goes onto from here.
I was intrigued to finish this series because I was unsure how it would unfold. I was thrilled to learn more of the backstories to some of these supporting characters. It made the connection between myself and these characters enhanced and I genuinely started to care for them some.
Mia stayed true to her original character which surprised me a bit. Yes, she grew some, but she truly did not waver in who she was from the get go. Grant was still as creepy and bothersome as he was in the beginning. Perhaps he was even more. I was grossed out by him in so many ways that it made him an amazingly complex character.
I felt that this story evolved well and was not as cheesy as it could have become. I gave this story a 4 out of 5 stars. And I was thrilled that this completed the story with the hint that it could go on if she so chose but could end here very happily. I am very excited to see where this author goes onto from here.
January 22, 2016
So I'll admit that the reason why I finished this trilogy was our sheer duty: I started it and might as well finish it. Overall the story itself was interesting but I felt like the plot went too fast and the problems that arose before Mia and her friends seemed to resolve far too quickly and therefore un realistically. It just didn't seem legit to me how everything managed to work out in the blink of an eye. I wish things could've worked out differently in terms of the way the story evolved but hey, it was still an okay read. The ending to me was what killed it. An open ending like that where there isn't any closure as far as what happens next... Honestly I cannot take Mia seriously as the head of the States- she just doesn't strike me as the type even with her character change throughout the books.
September 3, 2014
**I received this book free from Edelweiss/William Morrow in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.**
*Genre* Young Adult Dystopian
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Full Review to Follow*
All in all, not a bad way to end a series. Definite & positive character growth by the lead character, a cast of characters that come together from all walks of life, an end to a seriously annoying megalomaniac, and a back story that shows how the Registry and Affinity came to be.
*Recvd via Edelweiss* Published September 2nd 2014 by William Morrow Paperbacks
*Genre* Young Adult Dystopian
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Full Review to Follow*
All in all, not a bad way to end a series. Definite & positive character growth by the lead character, a cast of characters that come together from all walks of life, an end to a seriously annoying megalomaniac, and a back story that shows how the Registry and Affinity came to be.
*Recvd via Edelweiss* Published September 2nd 2014 by William Morrow Paperbacks
June 12, 2016
Taken from Goodreads: To overthrow a brutal dictator and free her country, a brave young woman will risk her life and liberty to spark a revolution in this explosive final installment in Shannon Stoker’s electrifying Registry trilogy
Best out of the three though it means the story is over. I wonder if we will ever see a Post Registry world and maybe how the country repairs it's image and the people who they betrayed acted in the coming days after everything ended.
Best out of the three though it means the story is over. I wonder if we will ever see a Post Registry world and maybe how the country repairs it's image and the people who they betrayed acted in the coming days after everything ended.
July 14, 2015
Genetics or environment
A great culmination of a possible society. The Great Commander got exactly what society had made of the boys with Grant. Mia being a mixture of both genes and environment. Not realizing till later what family is and means. Grant and Mia meet at the start and the end of the story. It all comes to an exciting conclusion of their story.
A great culmination of a possible society. The Great Commander got exactly what society had made of the boys with Grant. Mia being a mixture of both genes and environment. Not realizing till later what family is and means. Grant and Mia meet at the start and the end of the story. It all comes to an exciting conclusion of their story.
August 22, 2015
A much more satisfying book than the second; this ends Mia's story. While I felt the love story was much lower in quality than the social revolution part, I liked the character growth and the ending both wrapped things up and left them open so it felt right.
March 14, 2015
I am happy how this ending. Grant M deserve what he was looking for. But reading this story was very swift.
September 8, 2015
This series is 'V for Vendetta' for teens. I mean that as a compliment to its movement and intensity, not so much a compliment to its practically copycat plot twists.
April 27, 2016
I love this trilogy! Read the last book in one day.
Read
March 14, 2016Good book. I enjoyed Mia along with the strong feminist vibe. Ok as a standalone but I'm certain it would have appealed more if I read previous books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews