When Villains Rise

Oh my goodness what a way to end this series! I honestly took a little longer to finish this book than the first two because I wanted to savor every minute of it. This was probably my favorite book of the trilogy which is perfect since it was the last one. Nita has Fabricio in her hands but the leaked footage to INHUP about Kovit being a Zannie makes her plans even hard to achieve. It was non stop plotting with Nita and Kovit trying to figure out how to solve this predicament. There were twists and turns around every corner and the entire book kept me on the edge of my seat. This book definitely isn’t a thriller but it was so thrilling. Every intense moment leaked off the page because of how badly I wanted Nita and Kovit to succeed. Schaeffer did such an amazing job making these morally gray anti-heroes. It was so well written with a fast pace plot. In a story like this every detail is important but it never feels boring. And then the genius line of where she ties in the first two books (if you know, you know) – it juts solidified how amazing these books are. From the first book, I would have never imagined this is the way the story would turn out but it was an adventure the whole way that I absolutely would make again.

Even though I immensely enjoyed the dark setting of this series, it was Nita and Kovit that really sold it. Everything is still from Nita’s point of view and I just loved the way she thought. All of her processes were laid out for the readers and it really helped understand her character more. The development of Nita’s character was outstanding. The first book just really set her character up, the second book started the mold, but the third book settled how Nita was going to be. And even though these characters are morally gray, I loved the way her final character turned out. Kovit has an amazing development as well and even though you felt like he would have changed the way he thought, he really didn’t. But for some reason, that’s okay. But what really brought everything together was Fabricio. Even though he technically wasn’t a main character, he is the center of everything. It was so much fun reading how his relationship with Nita and Kovit happened throughout the whole series. I honestly loved the way the ending happened and the closure was fantastic. Would I love more? Absolutely – these characters will always be in the back of my mind now.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, When Villains Rise by Rebecca Schaeffer was the perfect ending to this series. I absolutely loved the journey of Nita and Kovit. Looking back on the first book, each one got better and better – the developing story was perfectly told. The darker tone to these books are fantastic for a change of pace but you’ll fall in love with these monsters. The fast paced experience kept me on the edge of my seat needing to know what was going to happen next. I loved the development of Nita’s character from the first book all the way to the end. I was rooting for her the whole time and with each event, I became more attached to these characters. The relationship between her and Kovit was different from most others but it was clear what they were to each other and the approach was so appreciated. I highly recommend this whole series for anyone who is looking for a darker toned book full of mythological creatures and enough blood to fill the pages.