I finally finished reading the penryn and the end of days book series by susan ee. I have many mixed feelings, so let's start with what I liked:
the ending battle! whoah! that was brilliant and awesome! I loved how all the elements came to work together in the end. Like the Consumed taking host on the sixers? - poetic justice! And the beauty of humans celebrating art as their last stance against the evil that took the world! and they way it was all planned out! the image of metal music blasting from the speakers! raffe and penryn fighting back to back, switching the sword between them! perfect just so absolutely perfect!
raffe sacrificing his wings to save penryn, the way it brings his character arc full circle and poetically signals his choice of putting penryn over everything else - delicious!
penryn's mom!! pure chaotic energy! I loved her so much! And it was hilarious how everyone feared her lol!
finally, raffe and penryn's dynamic. their relationship was built up so beautifully and I could truly feel their longing for each other. It was beautiful how their love was the forbidden kind from so many aspects.
Now on to the things I didn't like (which are the majority unfortunately):
I understood the logic of artificial monsters to create a fake apocalypse, but the whole bit with the lab scorpions was so SO horrendous and out of place. I would expect to read this kind of thing in a book about a nuclear-war apocalypse, and not a biblical one. The whole second book was so hard to get through because of this.
speaking of, the only reason I got through the second book was because of the beautiful promise of raffe and penryn's reunion, but that also disappointed me as there was not even a single kiss. it felt like it was done on purpose to increase the hype for the third book, because when someone thinks the love of their life died and suddenly they get them back unexpectedly, rules and reason and self-control cease to matter.
and in general, throughout reading raffryn's story, their longing for each other was so intense that I couldn't wait to finally see them be wholly together... But that never happened. The few times it almost happened, the fire quickly blazed out. The intimate moments only lasted for a few paragraphs and always left you wanting for more. And that more never came. And I'm not talking about sex. But them both actually giving in to one goddamned passionate kiss without holding back, letting their thoughts and emotions out without restraint. That never happens and it's just so disappointing.
Finally, and this is what angers me the most. The fucking creepy scorpions got redeemed into being friendly cute pets when they should have all been wiped out of existence! But Beliel?!? No. He spends eternity in hell and the only rightful end for him is to have a lonely and painful death. That was SO FUCKING UNFAIR! Like of course I hated his crimes and everything he did. But the writer chose to write a backstory like THAT for him, and thought it was ok to still kill him off? But yeah, the flesh-sucking scorpions are just cute giant bees in the end. Thanks, I hate it.
