Book Review: Darken the Stars (Kricket #3)

Darken the Stars (Kricket #3) by Amy A. Bartol
Publication Date: September 8, 2015

Kyon Ensin finally has what he’s always wanted: possession of Kricket Hollowell, the priestess who foresees the future. Together, their combined power will be unrivaled. Kricket, however, doesn’t crave the crown of Ethar—she has an unbreakable desire to live life on her own terms, a life that she desperately wants to share with her love, Trey Allairis.

As conspiracies rage in the war for Ethar, Kricket’s so-called allies want to use her as a spy. Even those held closest cannot be trusted—including Astrid, her sister, and Giffen, a member of a mysterious order with a hidden agenda. But Kricket’s resolve will not allow her to be used as anyone’s pawn, even as the Brotherhood sharpens its plans to cut out her heart.

As the destiny prophesied by her mother approaches, Kricket will backtrack through her fiery future to reshape it. For she knows one thing above all else: the only person she can truly count on is herself.

So there's a reason I waited so long to write this review...I'm having trouble deciding how I feel about it. And it seems to be a consensus among Amy Bartol and Kricket series fans. On one hand, I really loved this book and it was amazing. But on the other, I am so bothered by the ending that it made me want to give this a lower rating. I have never disliked an Amy Bartol book, but I just am so conflicted on this one. Honestly, it was really only the ending that bothered me the most, because the rest of this book was fantastic. But that ending...ugh. I'm actually really angry over it. 

Amy has an amazing talent. There is no denying it in my opinion. She has such creativity and can spin an amazingly unique story that leaves you desperate for more. That is how this series started. I was instantly transported to Ethar, and fell in love with all of the characters that Amy created. Kricket was a fierce female lead, Trey was a swoonworthy bad boy that instantly grabs a piece of your heart, and the rest of the gang was hilarious and offered a great balance to the story. However, most of these characters that we fell in love with from the start were virtually absent from the story. I didn't really like this because I missed them so much. And the scenes they were in were far too short. I just kept wanting things to fast forward and Kricket to be rescued so they could come up with an ingenious plan to save Ethar. But this didn't really happen.

However, you know the thing I loved the most? NO LOVE TRIANGLE. It was always so nice when authors feel comfortable enough to not have a love triangle because I feel like it's so overdone these days. If you know me, you know I'm not a huge fan of them. Well, in this one, there's a love triangle. But the problem is, I don't really know if you can call it that because of what actually happens. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I just didn't like what happened with Kyon at all. Now don't get me wrong, I loved Kyon. He was/is a great villain, and I loved how we got to see a different side to him in this novel. But I didn't like what happened between him and Kricket. This is partly why I'm conflicted. Because on one hand, I really enjoyed Kyon and Kricket together and their storyline, but I did not ejoy them as a couple.

I could actually get over the love triangle aspect of this, but unfortunately that's not where my ultimate problem lies. The ending was just a bust for me. Again, this is an area of conflict for me. On one hand, I didn't like the direction Amy took because it's very open ended and not a proper end to the series. I didn't like that there was no true conclusion, and it just felt like Kricket was taking the easy way out. However, this being said, I also think Kricket's decision was very true to her character and her feelings throughout the series in regards to what she was to become. I can't say too much because I don't want to spoil this for you, but I think (especially if you read other reviews) how difficult it is for me to decide whether or not I like this ending. Ultimately, I just felt kind of let down, as it wasn't at all what I would have expected. If this is truly the last book, then I'll be even more disappointed, but if there is another book...and Amy, I ambegging you to write another book...I won't be so upset.

Overall, Amy has told a great story with Kricket, and her storytelling is flawless. She knows how to write a good story that sweeps the reader into another world and makes you fall in love. But this is not the way you end a series, and I don't know if I can get over it. Check this out if you're a fan, just don't go in with any expectations. It might not be your favorite book, but it's still a worthy edition to the series. While I might be conflicted on the ending, I don't regret, in any way, reading this series. And it still will be one of my favorite series. If this truly is the end, I might just make up my own ending where everything works out ;)

Happy reading!

~Cassie