Ascend (Trylle Trilogy #3)

Ascend is an amazing ending to a wonderful series! Wendy has stepped up to her role as future queen, and is trying to make her people’s lives better. However, it’s nearing her 18th birthday, her wedding, and an attack promised by her father. Wendy has a lot on her mind in this book, and while she’s struggling to balance it all, I found she was doing the best she could. Besides the fate of her kingdom, there’s also the issue of her love life. Wendy has a very supportive fiance (who may or may not be interested in girls), the duty bound Finn, and the charming, enemy, Loki.

Can I just say how much I love Loki?! Ever since he appeared in the previous book, he has charmed his way into my heart. I absolutely adore him, and he seems to really care for Wendy. He’s also hilarious, even in the most dire of times. There’s an especially awesome scene where all 3 of Wendy’s young men are in her wedding chamber. I won’t spoil anything, but the awkwardness levels were extreme!

To me, this was the best of the trilogy. There were plenty of laughs (mostly thanks to Loki), heartfelt moments, action, heart ache, and some slightly steamy romance! While I’m sad Wendy’s story is over, I think this was the perfect ending.

“I don’t want only one night. I want all the nights. I want all of you, forever.”
? Amanda Hocking, Ascend

Ascend is the dramatic conclusion to Amanda Hocking’s Trylle series. Wendy’s journey has been hard. Not only does she find out that she is a Troll-she is a Troll Princess! Don’t believe everything that fairy tales say; Trolls look like everyone else. They are not ugly mis-happened creatures that hide under bridges waiting to surprise you, but maybe the person sitting right beside of you.

Wendy’s world has been turned upside down. How can she rule people that she knows nothing about? Her birth Mother is teaching her the ropes, but those ropes feel more like a noose. Not to mention that her father is evil and wants to conquer her people and rule her Kingdom.

Tove is teaching her how to control and use her magical abilities. Wendy comes from two very strong bloodlines and it shows in her magic. With magic there always comes a price. In the Trylle world the more you use your magic, the more of your life energy is taken from you. Unfortunately, the magic has a mind of its own and if it is not used can cause madness and pain.

Wendy’s love life is beyond complicated. She thought that she was in love with Finn, but then she meet Loki-an enemy Prince…and married Tove! Did I mention it was complicated? Her Kingdom must come first; but should she sacrifice true love? There are a lot of people looking to her for guidance and protection. Can a Princess, who is soon to be Queen, marry for love and still save her Kingdom?

Ascend is a story that weaves an enchantment into your very soul. Join Wendy as she face’s hobgoblins, evil Kings, marriage, and all too tempting guys. Will she be able to vanquish her father, save her kingdom, and follow her heart?

I think that in this final book of the Trylle trilogy, all the characters have grown into something different to what they were in the starting book, Switched.

At the start, Wendy was a lot different to what she has become in Ascend. She has become stronger mentally, and she leads her kingdom with in the right state of mind, one which she did not have in Switched and Torn. She volunteers herself for the hardest of jobs knowing that she is capable of them, risking her life for the lives of the people in her kingdom. She gives the idea to her people to not just defend Forening, but attack the Vittra, she alters the course of the Trylle's history. Wendy has gone out of her comfort for the sake of others, and she did not crack under the pressure that is the fall of so many others. She sees everyone as equals, and that is how a powerful queen rules.

I think that this book captures the sense of paranormal romance pretty well. Instead of just being the one perfect guy for the perfect heroine, or vice versa, she has made Wendy's love life oh so much more difficult. She had added two guys who love her, and whom she loves as well. She also has to deal with her forced marriage, and that just makes Wendy the women you want to lead you into battle. The romance in this book is difficult, and that makes everyone love this amazing book.

This books deals with some problems of monarchy. It shows you the problem that some nobles think of the 'lesser' people, or just your average person. Wendy slowly fixes this problem throughout this book, and gives the readers the picture of equality.

I think that this book was the golden star of the Trylle trilogy. This book outshone the first book, Switched, and even Torn, which was also pretty good. I recommend this book to paranormal romance lovers, and even fantasy set in Earth's modern era.

Have you noticed that most paranormal romances have something to do with a war? And that sends me into book lovers heaven! It's why I adore paranormal romance books so much, and the fact that Ascend by Amanda Hocking has dilemmas which transcend the mostly political war that has been raging for the past two books and has entered into physical attacks and magic battling and sword fights sent me into delirious adoration, allowing for minimal word usage and mostly consisted of me relying on sounds of pleasure to express my happiness over this book to whoever would listen to my nonstop streams of praise. Then, Hocking subtly and swiftly ensnares us with exquisite character growth, tender moments, and an outcome that is more than just doable but is deeply appreciated.

All my favorite characters have returned for a third time, but they are no longer cooling their heels and inviting their enemy's devastation, finally able and willing to fight back. The situation is bleak and if hope was the sun then they are shrouded in darkness born of an eclipse. Yet they are ready to BRING IT, especially Wendy, who has been a constant struggle in Switched, an example of gradual growth in Torn, but flourishes into a woman I can admire in Ascend. She is more inclined to take risks for her kingdom, escape her comfort zones and do what must be done in the name of the greater good. She has grown to care about her origins, all of them, and although she is tortured by her sacrifices and mistakes, she does not collapse under regret and wallow in self-pity, she does not shirk her responsibilities, nor does she give under the pressure raining down on her with the force behind a shower of boulders. She has the potential to become a great ruler, a compassionate one who will undoubtedly practice a more modernized and humane outlook on outdated customs and laws.

And among the characters who join her fight for freedom of fear and for peace are mostly friends, people who have, time and again, proven themselves loyal and honest and brave, despite the clashing of their attitudes, the scuffles caused by colliding personalities and conflicting interests. Willa, Tove, Matt, Rhys, and Duncan (and even, regrettably, Finn *grumbles*) remain a loyal team to our resident teen monarch, forever at her disposal as both allies in conflict and friends in both joy and despair. At their core, in everything they believe and say, they care for Wendy deeply and would be there for her always. Even so, it is Loki who attracts the spotlight with his cocky charm, sexy strength, and complete commitment to our admirable heroine, heating our skin with his blazing embraces and tenderizing the quick-beating organ in our chests with his well-buried vulnerability and masked kindness.

While the resolution could be deemed predictable and somewhat anti-climactic, it is impossible to care with those lovely, happy series of moments written in Ascend's final pages, helping us to a preview of the future lives of the endearing characters Hocking has created. With an ending that can't disappoint, delight and joy blind-sided me for days and lured me back to Ascend's pages with repeated success.

Originally posted at Paranormal Indulgence, 4/23/12