Review: Ascend by Amanda Hocking

Amanda Hocking is an indie publishing sensation whose self-published novels have sold millions of copies all over the world.  Ascend is the final chapter in her bestselling Trylle trilogy—and you’ll never guess how it ends!


Wendy Everly is facing an impossible choice. The only way to save the Trylle from their deadliest enemy is by sacrificing herself.  If she doesn’t surrender to the Vittra, her people will be thrust into a brutal war against an unbeatable foe.  But how can Wendy leave all her friends behind…even if it’s the only way to save them?The stakes have never been higher, because her kingdom isn’t the only thing she stands to lose. After falling for both Finn and Loki, she’s about to make the ultimate choice…who to love forever. One guy has finally proven to be the love of her life—and now all their lives might be coming to an end.  Everything has been leading to this moment.  The future of her entire world rests in her hands—if she’s ready to fight for it.

Ascend wraps up the internationally best-selling Trylle trilogy, and oh my goodness, is it crazy! 

I went into Ascend expecting the same thing I got from the first two Trylle books, which was a shy girl put into shoes three sizes too big, chased around by three boys who were crazy for her (or . . . after Torn, make that two), with pretty low character development and structured precariously by a shoddy plot.

Maybe it was because my expectations were so low that my socks were blown off at such a physically impossible rate.
Whatever Hocking did between Torn and Ascend made the final product and the conclusion to the trilogy ridiculously amazing. There were little to no info dumps in the middle, something which made me want to tear my hair out during Torn. Wendy grew into such a fearless and amazing woman over the course of the series. I was proud of her when I put the book down, after reading the final word. If Torn would've been the last book, I would have been relieved that the series was over, but Wendy made me a little sad it was over.

Since I didn't review the fist two books in the series, I might as well touch upon a few key concepts. Wendy Everly is a Changeling, meaning she was switched at birth and raised by a human family. She is actually, however . . . a troll.

Yep, you heard right.

But not the hairy, guarding-a-bridge kind of troll.

The troll part confused me at first, too, but eventually I caught on. I really liked the part about the changeling and the Mänsklig. Hocking did a really good job with the mythology aspect of the book. It wasn't a shoddily-constructed world. It was nice and pleasant.

If you didn't like the first two books, definitely stick around because Ascend will change your mind.

five owls