Thursday, February 6, 2014

Blog Tour Book Review and Giveaway: Face of Death by Kelly Hashway

Welcome to my stop for the blog tour of Kelly Hashway's final installment in her Touch of Death Trilogy!

I have been a part of this trilogy from the very beginning and it is never easy saying goodbye but this final installment didn't go quietly!





Title: Face of Death
Author: Kelly Hashway
Series: Book Three in the Touch of Death Trilogy
Published By: Spencer Hills (January 7, 2014)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: YA Paranormal

Book Description:
Having fallen at the hands of Hades, Jodi's enduring torture like she never imagined. Worse, she has to watch her Ophi friends suffer along with her--the punishment doled out by the very people she'd sentenced to life in Tartarus. Hell. This is one reunion Jodi hoped would never happen, but now she must find a way to free them all.

Except the underworld is nearly impossible to escape.

Jodi's one chance may rest in raising the human soul she killed when she drank Medusa's blood.

But splitting her human soul from her Ophi soul means living a double life: One as an Ophi experiencing unspeakable torture and the other as the human she could have been if she never came into her powers. With her two worlds colliding, Jodi will have to make the toughest decision she's faced yet.





About the Author:





I write for children of all ages from picture books up to young adult. My debut YA, TOUCH OF DEATH, released January 15, 2013 through Spencer Hill Press. Also look for my other YA novels: STALKED BY DEATH (Spencer Hill Press, August 23, 2013), THE MONSTER WITHIN (Spencer Hill Press, June 2014), THE DARKNESS WITHIN (Spencer Hill Press, June 2015), and INTO THE FIRE (Month9Books, spring 2014). My debut MG series CURSE OF THE GRANVILLE FORTUNE releases fall 2014 through Month9Books. I am represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

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Last books in a series or trilogies are so hard. They are hard to read because you know they will be bittersweet, sometimes hard to say goodbye too and sometimes even hard to write a review for. As I sit here and write this review, I find myself with something that doesn't happen very often, I find myself at a loss for words. This series has been quite the journey. One full of all things mystical. mythilogical and magical. Some good and some bad as all series go. Some things that I loved about it and others (coughlovetrianglecough) that I didn't. 

And because of these hard things, I don't really know where to begin. I really liked the direction this was going, other than the slight hiccup of a love triangle in book two that thankfully worked itself out, I thought it would be smooth sailing from here. That all my questions would be answered and everything would come together nicely and neatly.

That didn't exactly happen, instead Hathway threw in another curve ball. As if being banished to Tartus itself and dealing with Hades wasn't bad enough, she had to throw in another love triangle of sorts. Now, before all you love triangle haters start rolling your eyes and groaning (trust me, I did too!) know that this one sort of makes sense. It goes with what is going on with the story and as much as I didn't like it, I could see it and feel it and I understood it. I understood that it was something Jodi's character needed to do in order to grow stronger and in order to put some past wrongs right.

And the best thing about it all was that Jodi was still as fierce, strong and brave as always. She never faltered in her ability to prove why she was the Chosen One. She is a capable leader and one that loves her friends with all she has. She isn't afraid to put herself in danger to help someone else out and she isn't afraid to admit when she is wrong and when she has made mistakes. Best of all, this still had all the stuff I liked from the first book and even more from the second. 

Overall I think this was a great conclusion to the trilogy that held true to all three books, the plot and the characters.









*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*





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17 comments:

  1. Hm. This sounds like kind of a tricky conclusion to this series in terms of the overall feelings it elicits. I'm glad Jodi remains strong as she has been previously, but I'm not typically a huge fan of curveballs thrown in when there's a lot of existing questions I want answered. Despite that though, sounds like a solid read for the most part, glad you enjoyed it!

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    1. For the most part it really was. Thanks Jenny!

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  2. I've read and really enjoyed the first book in this trilogy, so I definitely want to finish it. Jodi sounds awesome and this sounds like a strong conclusion. Great review! :)

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    1. Thanks so much. I hope you are able to continue with the trilogy. :)

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  3. Ooo it sounds like this put the reader through the ringer as the character grew and found herself. *hugs* Good or bad it is always sad to say good-bye to a series and characters..to me its like a death.

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  4. I was thinking this was only the second book. Another series done! Hmm love triangle, but I believe you that it works!

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  5. I so agree, the third books in trilogies are SO hard. I'm always super excited but very terrified. I'm glad you enjoyed!

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  6. YES! Series endings are so hard for me too. This is exactly how I feel -> "They are hard to read because you know they will be bittersweet, sometimes hard to say goodbye too and sometimes even hard to write a review for." I'm glad the additional love triangle didn't ruin the finale for you, and that you were happy with the way it ended. Lovely review!

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  7. Glad to hear the love triangle worked itself out, hopefully for the better..heh. almost struggle with those ugh.
    I know it's hard saying goodbyes, maybe why I don't always finish the series when that happens. Ugh, starting to become a bad habit.

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    1. I hate to say it but there are a few I have been putting off for the very same reason Lily!

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  8. I love that your blog has so many great giveaways!!

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  9. I am glad that this came together in the end. I wasn't too crazy about the second book, but after reading your review, I probably will read book 3 to see how things end.

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    1. I hope you do, I would love to hear what you thought about it.

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