Review: War Storm

War Storm
Rating: 4/5
Buy or Borrow: Buy
Source: Copy courtesy of the publisher! 

Mare Barrow learned this all too well when Cal's betrayal nearly destroyed her. Now determined to protect her heart-and secure freedom for Reds and newbloods like her-Mare resolves to overthrow the kingdom of Norta once and for all... starting with the crown on Maven's head.

But no battle is won alone, and before the Reds may rise as one, Mare must side with the boy who broke her heart in order to defeat the boy who almost broke her. Cal's powerful Silver allies, alongside Mare and the Scarlet Guard, prove a formidable force. But Maven is driven by an obsession so deep, he will stop at nothing to have Mare as his own again, even if it means demolish everything - and everyone - in his path.

War is coming, and all Mare has fought for hangs in the balance. Will victory be enough to topple the Silver kingdoms? Or will the little lightning girl be forever silenced? 

The ending of the previous book left me screaming and not just with what happened, but that final line! I've been anticipating this final book so badly, and I'm so lucky I got one of a few review copies! It's actually taken me a while to type up this review because I feel like I had to process everything I'd just read...it took me a while to read too, I'm not going to lie. I took my time with it, and savoured it because...last book! 

War Storm jumps straight in where we left off. Cal and Mare's relationship...it's an interesting one. We all know what happened last book and it's interesting to have an MC self aware enough to know her feelings but also know each of them has things more important than the other. Plus Mare doesn't mope about it. She gets on with things, she gets things done. Yes there's some pining but...it doesn't actually interfere with what Mare has to do, which is more than can be said for some books! 

I'm fairly sure I said it in my review for the previous book, but I'm saying it again...I actually really like Evangeline. I started to like her last volume, and this volume...I was fully rooting for her. She's such a brilliant character! We've gotten so much insight in to her, and she's a POV in this book. I empathise with her, and I feel like she and Mare have a few things in common. I particularly enjoy her and Mare's banter and interactions, it gives me life! Was I a little bit disappointed in Evangeline not hanging about to kick some ass? Yes. But she got the ending I hoped she would. Although I still feel like her brother needed some vengeance wreaked upon him. 

One of our other POV's this book is Iris. I will admit...I don't particularly like her, she's all about stabbing Maven in the back, but I just didn't like her. She also kind of faded out of the book by the end. Speaking of Maven....he takes creepy to an all new level each book. This book he was downright chilling at one point, like a serial killer level creepy. I have a love/hate relationship with Maven. I hate him but I also love him, because he's a brilliant villain. I was so, so hoping he'd get a redemption arc this volume...but I was left disappointed with how things ended with Maven. 

We get a sprinkling of new characters, like Carmadon, who was hilarious! He's Davidson's other half. There are some familiar faces, and we get to take a look around Montfort which I've been itching to do. When the series started the world seemed quite small, but with each book it's been expanded more and more. 

Our POV's for this volume are, as usual, Mare, with Evangeline, Iris and a bit of Maven and Cal. The pace is steady, building up towards the grand finale with plenty of action and drama to keep you hooked. Aveyard still has some plot twists up her sleeve and you know no-one is safe, so it's kind of got you on the edge of your seat! 

Everything is wrapped up so well and while there was a sprinkling of disappoint for certain characters endings...it was a solid, and mostly fitting ending. I've loved watching the characters grow and develop over the course of the books and you can see how far Evangeline has come in this book, not just our other characters like Mare and Cal. We all hated Evangeline in the beginning, I think, but she's honestly one of my favourites now! I've loved going on this journey with Mare and I respect her as a character for her choices at the end of the book, even if I was a bit disappointed. Either way, I'm still gutted this series is over, I'm not going to lie!