I received an advance copy from the author (minor spoilers ahead).
I knew that the wait for Freed to come out would be long, but I didn’t think it would be this long! I’ve been eager to get my hands on this book since reading Possession, and for the most part, it did not disappoint! It was exciting, there was action, the writing was wonderful – three must-haves for the third book in a trilogy. There were twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and twists and turns that I did and all of this combined to give me that edge of my seat I can’t put this book down feeling. I even found myself liking some of the characters a little bit more, which made the ending impact me more.
The only thing I really had a problem with in this series is Lissa’s character development. As a person on her own, she does grow into a strong and confident woman and overcomes her prejudices throughout the series, which I did enjoy seeing. However, she also progressively gets weaker and doesn’t really do much to actively drive the plot. The male characters drive the plot, and Lissa becomes the object of their affection. She’s their motivation. The only reason the events unfold as they do is because they all (and I do mean all) want to protect and defend her and keep her on the sidelines. And that’s really obvious in Freed, because the reveals in Possession led me to believe that she would have an active hand in influencing the events of the story, but she only really does one plot-relevant thing, and the only reason she succeeds is because it involves Finn, and he’s in love with her. For the most part, she sits on the sidelines, which was a little frustrating to see given that she definitely had the potential and ability to contribute more.
Like I said, however, that was the only thing. Everything else was amazing, from start to finish, and as a reader, I was satisfied with the ending. All loose ends were tied up and I was definitely left with a sense of closure, although I’m a little sad that it’s now over. Having read the series in its entirety, I can confidently say that if you enjoy YA fantasy, you will enjoy this series.