Book Review: End of Days

End of Days (Penryn and the End of Days #3)

By: Susan Ee

Published By: Skyscape

Publication Date: May 12, 2015

Page Count: 344

Buy it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or IndieBound

Source: Purchased by Reviewer

Young Adult - Paranormal
Review of Book #1: Angelfall
Review of Book #2: World After

There is a very slim chance that I am going to adequately put into words just how fantastic the Penryn and the End of Days trilogy is. Totally original, inventive, horrifying, refreshing and utterly gripping. There are literally hundreds of five star reviews for the first book, Angelfall, and it deserves every one of them, and more. Each book in the series is weighty, and I have greedily gobbled them all up in a matter of hours. They aren't just another angel series. They aren't just another dystopian. They feel real and they slightly scared me. 

I really could believe how the world collapsed, with angels flooding into it, showing complete disdain for humans - as we might view cockroaches. These angels are not heavenly, some are cunning, plotting politicians who want an apocalypse and the rest are mindless followers. Penryn is just a normal girl, trying to look after her disabled sister and unhinged mother; she keeps battling when her sister is stolen, mutilated and transformed into a nightmarish razor-toothed rag doll, and The End of Days finds Penryn trying to help her one angel ally, Raffe, reattach his shredded wings and stop an angel election that would ruin the world. They have to go through hell and back, avoiding being eaten alive by bodyless heads, hunted by hellions, stung by scorpion/locust hybrids, to find Raffe's band of brothers, just so they stand a chance of stopping the apocalypse. And when they reach the end of days, the remains of humanity puts on a very poignant talent show. If that paragraph left you wondering what was going on, but with a sense of mildly horrified urgency, you've found the essence of the series. 

 This series won't be for everyone. It isn't light and fluffy, but it will be one of the most creatively written stories you come across. There is a very feint thread of dark humour woven into the seams of the story too, which I loved - mostly delivered via Penryn's deliciously demented mother, who is downright scary at times. She might just be my favourite character of them all, because the line between sane/insane with her is incredibly fine and sometimes you just can't tell which side she is falling on. I wasn't really that bothered with the romance in the story, and there were a number of moments where Penryn just couldn't help herself because Raffe's body was just too perfect... Blah... They were crowd pleasing moments and I was duly pleased with them. The magic in this story lies elsewhere, and it is a real mark of quality that the scenes which other books make their name off of are just passing moments in this rich narrative. Please, if you try nothing else new this year, let this series be your gamble.

Summary:

End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy.

After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?