Part 3 - End

[Krista]

We did it! Are you glad you took the time for this one? What are some of your final thoughts and reflections on this story. How did you like the characters and the storyline? Are you eager to pick up the sequel? Any other thoughts you want to share/discuss?

Thanks again for reading along with us this month!

[Amanda]

Just finished. After Part II I was unsure how I was feeling. I was having a hard time with the religious aspects of the story and not really making the "fairytale" connection. Now after finishing the book I completely get it. Part 3 made the entire story come together and was the highlight of the book for me. I'm excited to read the rest of the series and see what happens with Vasya!

[Shannon]

I loved this! So glad I finally read it. Can't wait for book 2!

[Susan]

I didn’t stop at the end of part II to comment... just plowed through to the end. This is a five star read for me. I just loved the strength of Vasya and how sacrificial love saves the day. I may go to the library tomorrow to check out the next book in this series. Fantastic read!

[Kim]

Just finished it and absolutely love this story! As we all were writing about earlier, the word “demon” could really be interpreted different ways and I think Part III really showcased that. The house spirits, which I’d prefer to call them, weren’t dissimilar to, say, the the elves in The Elves and the Shoemaker or even Santa’s elves. Ready to protect and also help those in need. Anyway, just one thought
Can’t wait to pick up the next one! Vasya is an amazingly strong heroine and I can’t wait to see what she gets into next. I loved her sibling relationships, and I think really family is the heart of this book, even if you are talk8ng about poor crazy Anna. Thanks, Krista!

[Berna]

I just finished the last Part and I am really impressed with the ending. It was both beautiful and emotional.
I gave the book four stars. If it wasn't for the second part, I would have given the book five stars because I adored C. Arden's writing style. I found the second part to be too much theological for my taste.
Vasya became one of my favorite heroines, she is kind, independent and brave which are qualities I like in a hero/heroine. I will for sure, continue with the series.

[Leslie]

Alright, so I just finished the book and I wrote a pretty scathing note about how I was feeling about the book after Part II. I can say, that the third part was pretty redeeming. I usually dislike when a book drags on and then ramps up in the last very small part of the book but this one did it alright. I didn't love that the frost-demon became this "good" character in the end with almost no explanation plus a tinge of love interest-y parts that were kinda weird. Even Vasya's character development skyrocketed in this third part which was necessary to see her as this strong, determined person but I felt it was rushed. (I'm in the minority that thinks Vasya wasn't a super well fleshed out character in the first 2 parts.) I did find a few sections really great. I loved the part where Vasya connects with Dunya and sort of breaks her from being a zombie-thing (and with how much I disliked her death scene in Part II this was really nice). And I loved Aloysha the whole time. (I also can sort of retract how I thought Pyotr was a weak character based on his heroics at the end but again, that came out of left field with a bit of a convenient explanation of how he got there.) I'm being super nitpicky but I had such high high hopes for this but I was just let down. I will call this a 3star read overall for me. I'm mildly curious about the next book but I'm not clamoring to get to it. I did enjoy this readalong! And am looking forward to doing more of these in the future.

[Kim]

Leslie, I am so glad that you ended up liking this book a bit more. I always appreciate listening (or in this case reading) opposite views, but I was hopeful that part 3 would redeem your dislikes! It’s my first completed read along, and I’m enjoying reading so many different observations in the story!

[Theresa]

Leslie wrote: "Alright, so I just finished the book and I wrote a pretty scathing note about how I was feeling about the book after Part II. I can say, that the third part was pretty redeeming. I usually dislike ..."

I think you might like the second book better. I have read it already and it seems more of what your looking for. I hope!

[Julie]

Susan wrote: "I didn’t stop at the end of part II to comment... just plowed through to the end. " - the same here:-)

I will call this a 3 star read for me. Though the story was quite captivating, I was not enchanted by the book. But still I would pick up the 2ns in the series at some point this year.

[Diane]

I finished the book yesterday and, like others have said, enjoyed the ending. Before this last part, I didn't think I would want to pick up the sequels, but now I think I might be interested. I did really enjoy Vasya as a character so I think I might want to read more of her adventures.

I thought it was interesting that both Dunya and Vasya's father called Vasya by her mother's name right before they died. With other characters noting that she looked different after her time in the forest, I am wondering if she now looks more like her mother.

I ended up giving the book 3 stars on Goodreads, but I had a hard time deciding between 3 and 4 stars. I enjoyed it but not as much as other books I have read recently. I am definitely glad I decided to join this month as I likely would not have picked up this book on my own.

[Robin]

Half-way thru and I've got to DNF. I am usually fine with world building and background stories that add tot he narrative, but this is taking too long to get anywhere and I'm bored. I've noticed several series that have novellas to give backstory for those who are interested... I wish this had been done that way so I could choose to skip the myriad of details that are bogging me down.

Because of the positive reviews, I may pick it up again later. But if so very much foundation is needed for the story, I'm not sure I care enough to get thru it. There is no character I feel any attachment, so it is just a painful slog.

To those who have finished: Folks say it picks up... Can I just jump to the 3rd section or will I really miss the point of 6 hours of backstory?

[Krista]

I just realized that I never shared my final thoughts! It's been a while now so I'll do my best to remember. I did really enjoy this story. I thought the tug and pull between "good" and "evil" was interesting. The characters who might typically be portrayed as good, the priest especially were not good at all here. And the "evil" spirits and Prince of Frost guy (cannot remember what he was called) had a lot of good in them. I was definitely along for the ride. This last section picked up pace for sure. Once Vasya went into the woods I couldn't stop until I found out what happened. I loved the scene with Dunya and Vasya near the end. Loved Vasya's love and loyalty to the one person who saw her for who she was and loved her. I loved the father's sacrifice at the end...very moving.

I ended up giving this 4 stars and am eager to continue the series.

[Tasha]

I finished earlier and forgot to come back and comment. I really enjoyed this one and plan on moving on through the series. I'm not big on fantasy but I found this to be fine as I was absorbed in the characters and the setting. At times it felt a bit YA (not a preferred genre) and I thought the ending was a bit rushed as well but that didn't detract from the experience. I loved Part 2, the sense of foreboding building, I thought that was well-done. In Part 3, as someone else mentioned, I loved the scene between Vasya and Dunya. I thought that was wonderfully done and very touching. This was my first read with this group and it was really enjoyable. :)