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The Scythe Wielder's Secret #3
Daughter of Deaths
Two years ago, Susan Sarnio was brought to the World of Deaths. Fighting sexism and bullying, the first female Death helped reinvent the College. Now, her friends journey deep into the heart of enemy territory, hoping to rescue her. Ancient secrets come to light. The horrifying truth behind Susan's arrival in the World of Deaths is at last revealed. War erupts between Dragons and Deaths, and the fate of three worlds hangs in the balance. The epic conclusion to The Scythe Wielder's Secret.
410 pages, Paperback
Published August 29, 2016
About the author
Christopher Mannino
7 books88 followers Christopher Mannino holds a Master of Arts in Theatre Education from Catholic University, and has studied mythology and literature both in America and at Oxford University. His work with young people helped inspire him to write young adult fantasy, although it was his love of reading that truly brought his writing to life.
Mannino is currently working on an adult high fantasy series.
Mannino is currently working on an adult high fantasy series.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 27, 2016
2017!? I CANNOT WAIT ONE YEAR FOR THIS
Update: I was given a free digital copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
The story continues after Susan and Will were captured by the Dragons. Back at the College, there is a shortage of mortamant, Reapings have stopped, and war is looming upon the Deaths. Meanwhile Frank, Michi, and Cronk leave for a rescue mission to bring back Susan and Will. If Susan doesn't escape, a Dragon key will be made and the entire world shall be affected.
I finally finished this! So many feelings argh. This book was quite disappointing. That doesn't mean that it's bad at all, but I was just expecting a bit more action in the first half of the book. It was a bit dull, in my opinion, but good enough that I was still excited to read on. Towards the end though, maybe from the halfway point onwards, it was just full of action, adventure, adrenaline, and plot twists. Also a bit sad because, well, people die.
The world building in this series was seriously amazing. The description of everything was so realistic and beautifully written. It was very easy to imagine and conjure up in my mind.
Now onto the stuff I didn't like about this book. First of all, Will seemed a tiny bit useless to me. It's just he didn't do a lot pretty much throughout the whole book. Also, Susan's whining when she first had Hope was kinda annoying. Right, I know, it's realistic. I probably would whine too if I was in her situation. But I still was annoyed. It's a personal issue, I suppose. The other thing is the dullness in the first half of the book, which I've already mentioned. And last, I hated reading through that part where Susan was in a coma and there were a lot of "tear drops". It was used so many times, bored me a little.
Susan has definitely had a lot of character development in this book. She is so fierce now. I feel like a proud mom. Will, well, you know how I think of him above. Frank was okay, I guess. My favorites are definitely Michi and Agmundria. They're both so gentle but so powerful and can be quite scary.
Just making it clear, I did have a couple of problems with this book, but I definitely enjoyed it. It was a good read. Not better than the first two, but I am looking forward to more books from the author :)
Update: I was given a free digital copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
The story continues after Susan and Will were captured by the Dragons. Back at the College, there is a shortage of mortamant, Reapings have stopped, and war is looming upon the Deaths. Meanwhile Frank, Michi, and Cronk leave for a rescue mission to bring back Susan and Will. If Susan doesn't escape, a Dragon key will be made and the entire world shall be affected.
I finally finished this! So many feelings argh. This book was quite disappointing. That doesn't mean that it's bad at all, but I was just expecting a bit more action in the first half of the book. It was a bit dull, in my opinion, but good enough that I was still excited to read on. Towards the end though, maybe from the halfway point onwards, it was just full of action, adventure, adrenaline, and plot twists. Also a bit sad because, well, people die.
The world building in this series was seriously amazing. The description of everything was so realistic and beautifully written. It was very easy to imagine and conjure up in my mind.
Now onto the stuff I didn't like about this book. First of all, Will seemed a tiny bit useless to me. It's just he didn't do a lot pretty much throughout the whole book. Also, Susan's whining when she first had Hope was kinda annoying. Right, I know, it's realistic. I probably would whine too if I was in her situation. But I still was annoyed. It's a personal issue, I suppose. The other thing is the dullness in the first half of the book, which I've already mentioned. And last, I hated reading through that part where Susan was in a coma and there were a lot of "tear drops". It was used so many times, bored me a little.
Susan has definitely had a lot of character development in this book. She is so fierce now. I feel like a proud mom. Will, well, you know how I think of him above. Frank was okay, I guess. My favorites are definitely Michi and Agmundria. They're both so gentle but so powerful and can be quite scary.
Just making it clear, I did have a couple of problems with this book, but I definitely enjoyed it. It was a good read. Not better than the first two, but I am looking forward to more books from the author :)
September 20, 2016
Title: Daughter of Deaths
Author: Christopher Mannino
Genre: YA Fantasy
Format: Ebook
Shelf: ARC
Pages: 523
Rating: 5
Heat: 1
Thoughts: Can there be more please??!! This is one of those stories where the world created within the pages has a life of its own and I would love to dive back in. So much is left hanging, not in a bad way, but actually the perfect way to create spin-off stories (hint hint lol). A must read for lovers of epic fantasies! The movie playing in my head was just awesome, especially during the battle at the college. I could picture the dragons flying overhead, breathing fire and clashing with other dragons. And there was also the 'mentals and all their fascinating abilities, they are as endless as the imagination. I do hope that Mr. Mannino decides to write more in this world and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next!
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
Author: Christopher Mannino
Genre: YA Fantasy
Format: Ebook
Shelf: ARC
Pages: 523
Rating: 5
Heat: 1
Thoughts: Can there be more please??!! This is one of those stories where the world created within the pages has a life of its own and I would love to dive back in. So much is left hanging, not in a bad way, but actually the perfect way to create spin-off stories (hint hint lol). A must read for lovers of epic fantasies! The movie playing in my head was just awesome, especially during the battle at the college. I could picture the dragons flying overhead, breathing fire and clashing with other dragons. And there was also the 'mentals and all their fascinating abilities, they are as endless as the imagination. I do hope that Mr. Mannino decides to write more in this world and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next!
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
October 25, 2016
Completely satisfying
Christopher Mannino's "Daughter of Deaths" series culminates in this third and, to my mind, best book. All along, the worlds created get more intricate and the characters and plot more complex. Truly a wonderfully rendered original and creative story mixing dragons, elementals and deaths.
Christopher Mannino's "Daughter of Deaths" series culminates in this third and, to my mind, best book. All along, the worlds created get more intricate and the characters and plot more complex. Truly a wonderfully rendered original and creative story mixing dragons, elementals and deaths.
November 13, 2017
A terrific ending to a wonderful trilogy by an amazing author.
Daughter of Deaths by Christopher Mannino brings us to an amazing close to this great trilogy. I count myself as lucky to have been asked to read it. This book is so brilliant, I will try not to spoil anything.
This book starts kind of where the second book ended and it’s just a roller coaster ride from there. We have Will figuring some things out from some dragons to Sindril telling Susan why she is really there in the World of Deaths, that is important for him to have her here to Frank, Michi, and Cronk trying to save them to the War and then the ending.
Again Mr. Mannino has divided this book up into three different third person point of views but once again they work really well together especially when they reveal how some people can handle some things that are very different for the four young heroes (Susan, Will, Frank, and Michi). We also meet some new characters in the Elementals species, some as dragons’ species, and some new species’ as well. This book is just filled with so much information that I am hoping that Mr. Mannion will have more stories from this world.
The three different point of views is the same as the second book Susan, Frank, and Will. Susan’s, who is also really grown into herself in this book, Frank’s because he has an interesting role, and Will’s because is Susan’s best friend, housemate and her boyfriend. Together these three characters, who with the help of their friends, have grown and really had to push themselves to stand against the things that they are afraid of throughout the book.
We met a lot of new characters that are Elementals and Dragons in this book. Too many to name them and to give you what I thought of them. There is a new character a child with great power. I don’t really want to spoil it though but I can say that it ties into the name of the book. We also encounter a new species… Well kind of. They are called the Swarm by Frank and they are basically Fire themselves. They help Susan throughout the book once she and Will join back up with Frank.
This book is just filled with so much information and action and about countless other stories waiting to be told within it. Much like what Susan powerful speech once the war was done is about. There were some things that I kind of did dislike. Like some of the time skipping around, which I know was important for the story but kind of made me lose track of how old Susan really is, and that Will wasn’t really there much in the story. But I did like how Frank didn’t force Susan to take him with her to protect her since he knew that she is capable of protecting herself. I was also wondering what happened to the other Deaths that were worshipping the Shadow Dragon King.
Daughter of Deaths by Christopher Mannino is an awesome book and one I would recommend to everyone that loves books like this especially the young adult readers of my blog, basically all readers. I also believe there are more stories to be told within this world even if it’s in short story form (hint, Mr. Mannino). I am very happy how this story turned out. I am also giving this book five stars because it’s such an amazing book and a very fabulously good ending for the trilogy.
Anyways until the next time enjoy this review brought to you by
Baroness’ Book Trove.
I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Daughter of Deaths by Christopher Mannino brings us to an amazing close to this great trilogy. I count myself as lucky to have been asked to read it. This book is so brilliant, I will try not to spoil anything.
This book starts kind of where the second book ended and it’s just a roller coaster ride from there. We have Will figuring some things out from some dragons to Sindril telling Susan why she is really there in the World of Deaths, that is important for him to have her here to Frank, Michi, and Cronk trying to save them to the War and then the ending.
Again Mr. Mannino has divided this book up into three different third person point of views but once again they work really well together especially when they reveal how some people can handle some things that are very different for the four young heroes (Susan, Will, Frank, and Michi). We also meet some new characters in the Elementals species, some as dragons’ species, and some new species’ as well. This book is just filled with so much information that I am hoping that Mr. Mannion will have more stories from this world.
The three different point of views is the same as the second book Susan, Frank, and Will. Susan’s, who is also really grown into herself in this book, Frank’s because he has an interesting role, and Will’s because is Susan’s best friend, housemate and her boyfriend. Together these three characters, who with the help of their friends, have grown and really had to push themselves to stand against the things that they are afraid of throughout the book.
We met a lot of new characters that are Elementals and Dragons in this book. Too many to name them and to give you what I thought of them. There is a new character a child with great power. I don’t really want to spoil it though but I can say that it ties into the name of the book. We also encounter a new species… Well kind of. They are called the Swarm by Frank and they are basically Fire themselves. They help Susan throughout the book once she and Will join back up with Frank.
This book is just filled with so much information and action and about countless other stories waiting to be told within it. Much like what Susan powerful speech once the war was done is about. There were some things that I kind of did dislike. Like some of the time skipping around, which I know was important for the story but kind of made me lose track of how old Susan really is, and that Will wasn’t really there much in the story. But I did like how Frank didn’t force Susan to take him with her to protect her since he knew that she is capable of protecting herself. I was also wondering what happened to the other Deaths that were worshipping the Shadow Dragon King.
Daughter of Deaths by Christopher Mannino is an awesome book and one I would recommend to everyone that loves books like this especially the young adult readers of my blog, basically all readers. I also believe there are more stories to be told within this world even if it’s in short story form (hint, Mr. Mannino). I am very happy how this story turned out. I am also giving this book five stars because it’s such an amazing book and a very fabulously good ending for the trilogy.
Anyways until the next time enjoy this review brought to you by
Baroness’ Book Trove.
I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
September 16, 2016
Betrayed, Susan and Will were captured by the Dragons. Susan opened her eyes to the sight of her enemy, Sindril. Even Grym, the First Scythe, who had bonded with her body was silent and unable to help her, trapped and bound by an impenetrable coating sealed to her arm by a Dragon. Even her desperate escape attempt from her prison cell did not go well. The angry Dragon disguised as her guard snatched her up and flew out of the cave. He took her high up in the sky where she could barely breathe the thin air, then let her go to fall to her death. At the last minute, he grabbed her arm, dislocating it, and took her back to her prison cell. If she tried escape again, he promised death.
Having tried a last desperate attempt to reach Frank’s mind, Susan had no idea if he heard her plea for help. But he did! Frank, Michi, and Cronk sought out the Headmaster and told him they were going to attempt a rescue. Hahn was not happy to lose them with war so imminent, but he provided a scythe, a less powerful boskery blade, and food for their journey.
Meanwhile, a female dragon trying to prevent the evil that Sindril is facilitating, takes Will from his prison cell at night and flies him to a secret meeting place. There, he is told the truth about the past and how Susan fits into the evil plans of the old King. How can they ever overcome the future the Nameless King has intricately planned? How can they stop him from destroying the world and prevent the horrible War that is ready to explode around them all? And what of the Key? Who can help them now? The fate of the College, the In-Between, and the Mortal World rests with our heroes – but there are so few left to fight.
This is such an amazing tale! The reader is taken along on this incredible journey right from the start. The characters are well developed and likeable, even with their shortcomings. Their world becomes so real and the tension keeps the reader eagerly moving forward through each of the many perilous adventures our heroes encounter. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys, but that makes it all the more irresistible. Love and friendship bonds them together as they all undertake their part of this enormous quest -- with the existence of the world and all they know and love at stake! Do not ignore this powerful book! You do not want to miss the staggering conclusion!
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
Having tried a last desperate attempt to reach Frank’s mind, Susan had no idea if he heard her plea for help. But he did! Frank, Michi, and Cronk sought out the Headmaster and told him they were going to attempt a rescue. Hahn was not happy to lose them with war so imminent, but he provided a scythe, a less powerful boskery blade, and food for their journey.
Meanwhile, a female dragon trying to prevent the evil that Sindril is facilitating, takes Will from his prison cell at night and flies him to a secret meeting place. There, he is told the truth about the past and how Susan fits into the evil plans of the old King. How can they ever overcome the future the Nameless King has intricately planned? How can they stop him from destroying the world and prevent the horrible War that is ready to explode around them all? And what of the Key? Who can help them now? The fate of the College, the In-Between, and the Mortal World rests with our heroes – but there are so few left to fight.
This is such an amazing tale! The reader is taken along on this incredible journey right from the start. The characters are well developed and likeable, even with their shortcomings. Their world becomes so real and the tension keeps the reader eagerly moving forward through each of the many perilous adventures our heroes encounter. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys, but that makes it all the more irresistible. Love and friendship bonds them together as they all undertake their part of this enormous quest -- with the existence of the world and all they know and love at stake! Do not ignore this powerful book! You do not want to miss the staggering conclusion!
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 8, 2018
This book was cute.
The only problem I had was the strange passing of time and the abnormally long chapters. One character could have this giant chapter and months would go by in a single page break. It was a little strange to me.
However, I really enjoyed this series. I hope there is some sort of spin off
The only problem I had was the strange passing of time and the abnormally long chapters. One character could have this giant chapter and months would go by in a single page break. It was a little strange to me.
However, I really enjoyed this series. I hope there is some sort of spin off
December 4, 2016
The final book in the Scythe Wielder's Secret trilogy was full of excitement, action, and packed with emotions, suspense and tension.
*WARNING - spoilers included*
Will and Susan were sent on a secret mission to scout the mine for more mortamant supply, but betrayed by dragons, they were kidnapped and held in prison. Susan aged four years thanks to Sindril's curse, and they force her to get pregnant and create new Dragon Key. Will makes an alliance with the White Claw, a circle of dragons holding the side with Deaths and Elementals. When reunited, Susan and Will are also in contact with the Swarm, all-present fire, and end in the mortal world together with Frank and Michi, since Susan's baby is coming. Running away from the dragons even in the mortal world, they make unexpected friends and even get the chance for a brief farewell. Breaking the seal on her power, Grym accompanies Susan until the epic battle for all world between the three races. In the end, much is lost, but the destruction bears a new beginning - and new hope.
*end of spoiler section*
This last installment was much longer and much darker than the previous two installments, yet I considered it a true jewel. Masterfully balanced story with detailed fantastic world and realistic scenes devours the reader from first pages. Alternating points of views only speed up the whole pace and provide more integrate idea about the general situation.
Characters, both protagonists and antagonists, are well-defined personalities, each of them different and yet fighting for the same goals.they have mostly clear motives and are easy to identify with. All of them go through noticeable development, but in three of them (Frank, Will, Susan) is the change so massive it is hard to fully understand the consequences until you read more and more. The characters are complex, realistic, full of emotions. Susan's accelerated maturity is an obstacle hard to imagine, yet she copes with the struggle with such a fierce determination that one simply must admire her.
Great read, and I am only sad there would be no more of the story. I fell for the characters deeply and would miss them, both those who survived and those who sacrificed themselves to save the World of Shadows. If you need to find a hero, just open this book and start reading.
*WARNING - spoilers included*
Will and Susan were sent on a secret mission to scout the mine for more mortamant supply, but betrayed by dragons, they were kidnapped and held in prison. Susan aged four years thanks to Sindril's curse, and they force her to get pregnant and create new Dragon Key. Will makes an alliance with the White Claw, a circle of dragons holding the side with Deaths and Elementals. When reunited, Susan and Will are also in contact with the Swarm, all-present fire, and end in the mortal world together with Frank and Michi, since Susan's baby is coming. Running away from the dragons even in the mortal world, they make unexpected friends and even get the chance for a brief farewell. Breaking the seal on her power, Grym accompanies Susan until the epic battle for all world between the three races. In the end, much is lost, but the destruction bears a new beginning - and new hope.
*end of spoiler section*
This last installment was much longer and much darker than the previous two installments, yet I considered it a true jewel. Masterfully balanced story with detailed fantastic world and realistic scenes devours the reader from first pages. Alternating points of views only speed up the whole pace and provide more integrate idea about the general situation.
Characters, both protagonists and antagonists, are well-defined personalities, each of them different and yet fighting for the same goals.they have mostly clear motives and are easy to identify with. All of them go through noticeable development, but in three of them (Frank, Will, Susan) is the change so massive it is hard to fully understand the consequences until you read more and more. The characters are complex, realistic, full of emotions. Susan's accelerated maturity is an obstacle hard to imagine, yet she copes with the struggle with such a fierce determination that one simply must admire her.
Great read, and I am only sad there would be no more of the story. I fell for the characters deeply and would miss them, both those who survived and those who sacrificed themselves to save the World of Shadows. If you need to find a hero, just open this book and start reading.
March 15, 2019
The mythology and concept was interesting and somewhat unique but the actions and reactions of the characters were inconsistent and all over the place.
I haven't been this frustrated with a book in a very long time. There where times when I was screaming at it and its inconsistencies.The characters at some point were so dense and often reacted in ways that went agains previously established behaviour and feelings.
Spoilers: Rant incoming.
Will (and at times Susan) was the most frustrating character of them all. He constantly wants to hide and makes that decision befor asking Susan about what she wants. And are you honestly going to tell me he wanted to raise a child with 19, completely alone, in a bloody cave for the rest of his life. Is he realy that stupid???
The series would have probably been better if it had wraped up at the end of book 2 with Frank and Michi crashing the wedding and then turning into the Earth queen. Therewas no need for a pregnancy or the whole eye of Donkar part.
And this book didn't even wrap up every question and has more than enough plotholes to fill a book. How was Grym traped in Susans arm and then released at childbirth? In what way was he ment to be a gift. How was he convinced to attack some earth dragons in the past? How did the earth Queen die or loose her corporal form? How were the dragons able to travel between worls when it was explicitly stated that there was no way for them to do this without a dragon key? How are there Thousands of dragons but they havent been seen in over 5000 years? How big is the shadow world? From the few places we have heard of there are maybe 4-6 cities.
Can you tell that I'm frustrated?.
I haven't been this frustrated with a book in a very long time. There where times when I was screaming at it and its inconsistencies.The characters at some point were so dense and often reacted in ways that went agains previously established behaviour and feelings.
Spoilers: Rant incoming.
Will (and at times Susan) was the most frustrating character of them all. He constantly wants to hide and makes that decision befor asking Susan about what she wants. And are you honestly going to tell me he wanted to raise a child with 19, completely alone, in a bloody cave for the rest of his life. Is he realy that stupid???
The series would have probably been better if it had wraped up at the end of book 2 with Frank and Michi crashing the wedding and then turning into the Earth queen. Therewas no need for a pregnancy or the whole eye of Donkar part.
And this book didn't even wrap up every question and has more than enough plotholes to fill a book. How was Grym traped in Susans arm and then released at childbirth? In what way was he ment to be a gift. How was he convinced to attack some earth dragons in the past? How did the earth Queen die or loose her corporal form? How were the dragons able to travel between worls when it was explicitly stated that there was no way for them to do this without a dragon key? How are there Thousands of dragons but they havent been seen in over 5000 years? How big is the shadow world? From the few places we have heard of there are maybe 4-6 cities.
Can you tell that I'm frustrated?.
February 11, 2019
I started the Scythe Wielder's Secret trilogy quite some time ago. I remember admiring the bravery and spunk of young Susan Sarnio, a 13 year old girl "recruited" against her will to become the first female "death" in millenia. Since then, Susan has grown into a young woman, fallen in love, and is with child ... but her role is no less important as she seeks to unite the Shadow World against the villainous Sindril, who wants her unborn child in order to seize control of all worlds (including the mortal realm).
Christopher Mannino is a brilliant wordsmith, and though the pacing was a little slow at the beginning, the second half of Daughter of Deaths proceeded at a lightning pace as it barreled toward the action-packed finish. I wasn't sure which (if any) of my favorite supporting characters would survive (and some didn't), but I finished the book immensely satisfied.
I highly recommend this series for anyone who loves YA fiction, fantasy, dragons, or just a damn good story.
Christopher Mannino is a brilliant wordsmith, and though the pacing was a little slow at the beginning, the second half of Daughter of Deaths proceeded at a lightning pace as it barreled toward the action-packed finish. I wasn't sure which (if any) of my favorite supporting characters would survive (and some didn't), but I finished the book immensely satisfied.
I highly recommend this series for anyone who loves YA fiction, fantasy, dragons, or just a damn good story.
September 20, 2016
I received an advanced copy of DoD (that's the abbreviation I'm going with from now on) from the author, in exchange for an honest review. As much as I loved the first two books, this won't affect this review.
SPOILER ALERT if you haven't read the second book, Sword of Deaths.
Before we do this thing, can we talk about the cover? It's gorgeous, and I just love this dragon.
As I’ve mentioned this before, I was very much looking forward to getting my hands on this book. But it took me a lot longer to finish it, than I thought. Reason number one was school. Yup, I’m a college freshman again, and I’ve been readjusting my schedule and trying to get the new routines going for the past couple of weeks and everything else took a back seat.
Reason numero due is… actually, I’ll get to that later.
The second book in the series – Sword of Deaths – ended on a major cliffhanger. Susan and Will were literally hanging in the air as the two enormous dragons whisked them away to their dragon country, towards a very grim future.
Not to mention that as a result of Susan’s latest magical confrontation with Sindril – the evil former headmaster and Susan's nemesis – she lost four years of her life, turning eighteen in a matter of seconds.
DoD picks up right were Sword of Deaths left off, and Mannino doesn’t waste any time diving into the story, by throwing our two heroes and star crossed lovers in the middle of this dragon-riddled mess. While Will is being tortured by dragons, Susan keeps getting visits by Sindril who's sweet-talking her and being menacingly cordial. And just when Susan is trying to figure out his evil plan and why she was brought to the world of Deaths in the first place, Sindril drops the hammer on her:
He needs a Dragon Key (the same mythical object that Susan has been looking for since book one) in order to return to the mortal world. Turns out, the Dragon Key is actually a person. And the only reason Susan is here is to give birth to this key person.
And Sindril plans to "assist" Susan in the task.
#didnotseethatcoming
I have to say I feel a little let down. So Susan's big role in this game is to be the mother of an important player? A interdimensional Sarah Connor? I understand that Susan's journey throughout these books is about trying to be bigger than her destiny, and to shape her own destiny. It's just that she's such a cool character, that I can't help feeling disappointed by this plot twist.
Meanwhile, Will learns about a secret order of dragons who want to stop Sindril, because they know that by using the Dragon Key, he will destroy the world. But how can the good dragons help our heroes? And how on Earth can Susan save herself from being raped by Sindril the Creep?
What Susan and Will don’t know is that their best friend Frank, sensing that the two of them are in danger, has set out on a rescue mission. And Frank has troubles of his own. His mother was killed in the previous book, by a Death of all things. Plus, his own Elemental power is growing and becoming a threat to him. Will he make it in time to save his friends from death and rape, or will his own power stand in his way?
Out of the three main characters, Frank is actually the one who does the most growing and developing throughout the trilogy. He has the kind of potential that I initially didn't see, because he spent a lot of time in the background. But after having read DoD, I can now look back on him in the previous books and see that potential. He's an Elemental, pretending to be a Death, and is torn between the two worlds. He has powers that become less manageable and more dangerous with time. This book is as much about Frank as it is about Susan.
Since this is the last book, arcs need to be closed, and loose ends need to be tied. So we finally get to see Susan deal with the choice she made in the end of School of Deaths. She chose to fail the test and stay in the world of Deaths, abandoning her family. Believing that her family had forgotten her (by magic), she moved on with her life, and allowed herself to forget about them too. I never forgave her for that so it was with an unhealthy satisfaction that I watched her decision blow up in her face.
#schadenfreunde
In DoD, the familiar story structure is completely abandoned. We're no longer on the school grounds. The story doesn't start off with a new school year. This is uncharted waters. And this may be the reason why the pacing suffers. The story starts with a bang and then the flame goes out for about two hundred pages. This is the longest book in the series, but somehow it feels lighter than the previous two. When things do speed up again, towards the last act, the author just rushes by some important parts.
The unbalanced pacing is that second reason it took me so long to finish DoD.
DoD is darker than its predecessors; more mature. Susan is no longer a girl, but a young woman. Her relationship with Will becomes more mature as well, more serious. It's the first book where sex becomes a "thing". But I feel like the whole subject could have been handled better, and explored more, especially with the issue of rape suddenly entering the picture.
Now I've finished the series. The circle is complete. I've had a lot of fun with the story and these characters. The last book is the most mature one but also the most problematic of the trilogy. Some parts could have been trimmed, while others could have been developed more. I didn't fully understand Sindril's plan, and why it had to be so complicated.
Susan is as cool a character as she has been from the start, and it's fun to watch her grow. The world of Deaths continues to fascinate me, and I wish I could have stayed in it longer.
Rating
Plot: 4 stars
Story: 2 stars
Characters: 3 stars
Writing: 3 stars
Total: 3 stars
SPOILER ALERT if you haven't read the second book, Sword of Deaths.
Before we do this thing, can we talk about the cover? It's gorgeous, and I just love this dragon.
As I’ve mentioned this before, I was very much looking forward to getting my hands on this book. But it took me a lot longer to finish it, than I thought. Reason number one was school. Yup, I’m a college freshman again, and I’ve been readjusting my schedule and trying to get the new routines going for the past couple of weeks and everything else took a back seat.
Reason numero due is… actually, I’ll get to that later.
The second book in the series – Sword of Deaths – ended on a major cliffhanger. Susan and Will were literally hanging in the air as the two enormous dragons whisked them away to their dragon country, towards a very grim future.
Not to mention that as a result of Susan’s latest magical confrontation with Sindril – the evil former headmaster and Susan's nemesis – she lost four years of her life, turning eighteen in a matter of seconds.
DoD picks up right were Sword of Deaths left off, and Mannino doesn’t waste any time diving into the story, by throwing our two heroes and star crossed lovers in the middle of this dragon-riddled mess. While Will is being tortured by dragons, Susan keeps getting visits by Sindril who's sweet-talking her and being menacingly cordial. And just when Susan is trying to figure out his evil plan and why she was brought to the world of Deaths in the first place, Sindril drops the hammer on her:
He needs a Dragon Key (the same mythical object that Susan has been looking for since book one) in order to return to the mortal world. Turns out, the Dragon Key is actually a person. And the only reason Susan is here is to give birth to this key person.
And Sindril plans to "assist" Susan in the task.
#didnotseethatcoming
I have to say I feel a little let down. So Susan's big role in this game is to be the mother of an important player? A interdimensional Sarah Connor? I understand that Susan's journey throughout these books is about trying to be bigger than her destiny, and to shape her own destiny. It's just that she's such a cool character, that I can't help feeling disappointed by this plot twist.
Meanwhile, Will learns about a secret order of dragons who want to stop Sindril, because they know that by using the Dragon Key, he will destroy the world. But how can the good dragons help our heroes? And how on Earth can Susan save herself from being raped by Sindril the Creep?
What Susan and Will don’t know is that their best friend Frank, sensing that the two of them are in danger, has set out on a rescue mission. And Frank has troubles of his own. His mother was killed in the previous book, by a Death of all things. Plus, his own Elemental power is growing and becoming a threat to him. Will he make it in time to save his friends from death and rape, or will his own power stand in his way?
Out of the three main characters, Frank is actually the one who does the most growing and developing throughout the trilogy. He has the kind of potential that I initially didn't see, because he spent a lot of time in the background. But after having read DoD, I can now look back on him in the previous books and see that potential. He's an Elemental, pretending to be a Death, and is torn between the two worlds. He has powers that become less manageable and more dangerous with time. This book is as much about Frank as it is about Susan.
Since this is the last book, arcs need to be closed, and loose ends need to be tied. So we finally get to see Susan deal with the choice she made in the end of School of Deaths. She chose to fail the test and stay in the world of Deaths, abandoning her family. Believing that her family had forgotten her (by magic), she moved on with her life, and allowed herself to forget about them too. I never forgave her for that so it was with an unhealthy satisfaction that I watched her decision blow up in her face.
#schadenfreunde
In DoD, the familiar story structure is completely abandoned. We're no longer on the school grounds. The story doesn't start off with a new school year. This is uncharted waters. And this may be the reason why the pacing suffers. The story starts with a bang and then the flame goes out for about two hundred pages. This is the longest book in the series, but somehow it feels lighter than the previous two. When things do speed up again, towards the last act, the author just rushes by some important parts.
The unbalanced pacing is that second reason it took me so long to finish DoD.
DoD is darker than its predecessors; more mature. Susan is no longer a girl, but a young woman. Her relationship with Will becomes more mature as well, more serious. It's the first book where sex becomes a "thing". But I feel like the whole subject could have been handled better, and explored more, especially with the issue of rape suddenly entering the picture.
Now I've finished the series. The circle is complete. I've had a lot of fun with the story and these characters. The last book is the most mature one but also the most problematic of the trilogy. Some parts could have been trimmed, while others could have been developed more. I didn't fully understand Sindril's plan, and why it had to be so complicated.
Susan is as cool a character as she has been from the start, and it's fun to watch her grow. The world of Deaths continues to fascinate me, and I wish I could have stayed in it longer.
Rating
Plot: 4 stars
Story: 2 stars
Characters: 3 stars
Writing: 3 stars
Total: 3 stars
January 2, 2017
The 3rd book of the series and it was my all time favorite! An epic battle, love, sorrow, joy..... Christopher Mannino has certainly outdone himself with the conclusion of Susan Sarnio's adventurous life!!
May 14, 2017
An epic and mostly satisfying conclusion to the series. Mannino did a good job of tying up all the loose ends. The book lagged a little in the middle, but picked up nicely and had a bunch of twists and turns. Recommended for those who enjoy Percy Jackson and Harry Potter.
January 27, 2023
Okay so this took me longer than I thought it would. It wasn't bad but it's the pacing in the middle that killed me. I kept pushing through because I was actually enjoying the plotline. I just wish I liked it more though 😕
January 10, 2017
The story begins with Susan and Will being kidnapped by Sindril. Susan wakes up with Sindril by her side, trying to get her to eat and tells her to rest. Then we cut to Frank who is back at school, pretending to be a death with Michi by his side in bug form. Frank is still recovering from his mother’s murder and trying to figure out what happened to Susan and Will. Michi got a message from her bugs that Susan and Will were in danger and Frank sets up a rescue party consisting of: himself, Michi, and Cronk.
Overall, I really liked this book and the series as a whole. This book in particular was my favorite just because I felt connected to the characters in a different way then I have in the past. Maybe because it was most of the characters all grown up now. Michi had become a new favorite of the group for me, and I loved getting to know her relationship with Frank and who she was. There was a bit of confusion of what happened to her toward the end of the book but the author clarified it for me in the end. Also this book as a whole reminded me how much I hate Sindril and how much I could distrust someone.
The story had a style of writing that I liked in some areas of the book, but simply confused in in others. What would happen was during an event the chapter would fade out into the next chapter. Because of this style, sometimes I would understand later on during the aftermath what happened. I would have liked to understand in the moment it was happening. Still, I did like the style in most areas of the book, there was just a few times I didn’t really like it. Also, I liked that she stayed away from most cliches in this book. I can’t talk about them without spoiling them, but most of them were twisted differently and changed completely.
In the end, I really liked the book and thought it was a great ending to this series. Though, I wouldn’t mind if there were some more books made after this. Though, if there are no more books in this series, it is a satisfying ending. I would recommend this to anyone likes realistic paranormal, but I will say there are some mature topics in the book.
Overall, I really liked this book and the series as a whole. This book in particular was my favorite just because I felt connected to the characters in a different way then I have in the past. Maybe because it was most of the characters all grown up now. Michi had become a new favorite of the group for me, and I loved getting to know her relationship with Frank and who she was. There was a bit of confusion of what happened to her toward the end of the book but the author clarified it for me in the end. Also this book as a whole reminded me how much I hate Sindril and how much I could distrust someone.
The story had a style of writing that I liked in some areas of the book, but simply confused in in others. What would happen was during an event the chapter would fade out into the next chapter. Because of this style, sometimes I would understand later on during the aftermath what happened. I would have liked to understand in the moment it was happening. Still, I did like the style in most areas of the book, there was just a few times I didn’t really like it. Also, I liked that she stayed away from most cliches in this book. I can’t talk about them without spoiling them, but most of them were twisted differently and changed completely.
In the end, I really liked the book and thought it was a great ending to this series. Though, I wouldn’t mind if there were some more books made after this. Though, if there are no more books in this series, it is a satisfying ending. I would recommend this to anyone likes realistic paranormal, but I will say there are some mature topics in the book.
October 17, 2016
*I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader copy of this book.*
This was an interesting ending to this story. I love how the author incorporated all the worlds and all the races in this book. In previous books, I felt that sometimes there wasn't enough of the dragons. that is not the case in this book. All of the races are involved and integral to the outcome. The whole dragon key thing was interesting. However, I didn't like how they use it. Of course, this was important to the story and I really enjoyed it.
This was an interesting ending to this story. I love how the author incorporated all the worlds and all the races in this book. In previous books, I felt that sometimes there wasn't enough of the dragons. that is not the case in this book. All of the races are involved and integral to the outcome. The whole dragon key thing was interesting. However, I didn't like how they use it. Of course, this was important to the story and I really enjoyed it.
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February 7, 2017I didn't finish this book as I lost interest when the story reaches Part 2. The story goes way too matured compared to the first two books and there are a lot of parts which I think it's not really necessary (e.g. there are a lot of repeating scenes when Susan and Will saying they love each other).
I enjoyed reading the first two books and I should be glad to see the dragons finally come into the big picture. Too bad I couldn't get myself to continue reading it.
I enjoyed reading the first two books and I should be glad to see the dragons finally come into the big picture. Too bad I couldn't get myself to continue reading it.
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