Welcome the the final instalment of our look-back over the Beautiful Creatures series, my review of book four, Beautiful Redemption. It’s not long until new series Dangerous Creatures is out, following the adventures of Link and Ridley in New York. Until then, here’s my thoughts on Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl… Just a warning that, as this is the final part of the series, my review does contain spoilers about the previous books.
Ethan Wate always dreamed of leaving the stifling Southern town of Gatlin.
But he never dreamt that finding love with Lena Duchannes would drive him away. Lena is a Caster girl whose supernatural powers unveiled a secretive and cursed side of Gatlin, so powerful it forced him to make a terrible sacrifice.
Now Ethan must find a way to return to Lena – and Gatlin – as she vows to do whatever it takes to get him back. Even if it means trusting old enemies or risking their loved ones’ lives…
Can Ethan and Lena rewrite their fate and their spellingbinding love story in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series?
The end of Beautiful Chaos, book 3 of the Beautiful Creatures series by Garcia and Stohl, left me reeling. I really thought that, somehow, Ethan wouldn’t need to make the ultimate sacrifice, that someone would find a way out for him. I was wrong. Now Ethan is stuck, a spirit with unfinished business, and it doesn’t take a genius that his business is Lena, just as hers is Ethan. She’s convinced that Ethan is still out there somehow and eventually so are the motley crew of supernatural supporters than Ethan and Lena call friends and family.
Beautiful Redemption repeats the best trick of the series – it doesn’t repeat the material. In this final book, we’re in a completely different world, an alternative Gatlin of those who’ve passed away but not through the last door, with a completely different quest, and yet one which ties up a number of loose ends. Characters briefly met in earlier books, and conspiracies darkly hinted at, are suddenly centre stage, their full importance finally revealed.
Ethan’s journey in Beautiful Redemption surprised me, and also really engaged me. It was so different to the dynamic of all three previous books and was very moving at times. I also loved the way that Ethan’s nearest and dearest put aside their differences and use their varied talents to help him along the way. Something else which I really appreciated as that, while I knew this would be end of the series, I was unsure, right until the final moment, whether that ending would be happy or sad, especially after Beautiful Chaos’ brutal conclusion.
All the same positives persist in this book too, just as they have in books one, two and three. There’s still a very well realised sense of place, the same engaging characterisation and believable, sympathetic narrative voice. The plot is fast-moving, not too heavy as it’s buoyed by the banter between characters, but still packs a dramatic punch at key moments.
I already feel like I’ve given away a bit too much so I won’t say anything else, other than to say that I felt this was a really fun read in a series that improved with each book, and made the perfect conclusion, with a great bittersweet mix of sadness and positive resolution.
***
So, we’re up to date… and hardly any time to wait until Dangerous Creatures is released, and we can follow Link and Ridley all the way to New York. I can’t wait to see how it measures up.
Kate
@magic_kitten