This review originally appeared on the book review blog: Just One More Pa(i)ge.

“In this moment, she’s both ordinary and extraordinary. Just like everyone else in this story.”

And here we are, THE FINALE of this mind-blowingly original trilogy that I haven’t been able to put down for two straight weeks (which is actually a surprisingly short amount of time, considering how long each of these books is). Anyways, my heart cannot believe this series is over.

This book picks up right where the last one left off. Ezra and Kady and Ella and Hanna and Nik are all aboard the Mao…and everything is about to hit level 11. And then there’s some new additions. Kady’s cousin, Asha, is back on Kerenza. She’s still alive, dealing with life under the BeiTech invasion force, and part of a small resistance effort that, as far as they can tell, is really only extending the time before their inevitable “liquidation.” Also on Kerenza is Rhys, a part of the BeiTech forces, but an old flame of Asha’s who just might be the linchpin who, if Asha can turn him, could help the resistance prevail and save the lives of the rest of the survivors. Oh, and there’s the whole issue of BeiTech forces completely outnumbering and outgunning the Kerenza survivors, both on land and in the air, and all of them needing the same *almost repaired* mobile jump station to get back to civilization and end/tell this story. PHEW.

So I loved how much we get to see of everyone in this finale. Now, I understand that means that there is the whole “more perspectives” = “less screen time/development” for each one. But I think it worked out the best it could have under the circumstances. There is so much going on in this one, with all the added issues and points of view that we get as more characters get introduced with each additional piece of the story, that there was bound to be a drop in individual character development and detail in favor of overall plot resolution. However, at this point in the overarching story, I was so invested in the plot and how things would wrap up…it was all I could do to read/turn pages fast enough to keep up with how badly I wanted to know the ending. Basically what I’m saying is that the pacing and action in this last book was everything I was expecting it to be, based on the rest of the series, and perhaps even more. Which I can only assume is easier said than done, so my hats off to the authors. This was an edge-of-seat reading from beginning to end.

Though I know I said that the character development was slightly second-seat in this installment, there are still a few things I want to point out. Kady’s father (Isaac) and the way he parentally “adopted” all these teen heroes/heroines, was emotional and inspiring and a couple times caused me to tear up (Did his notes to them before the “final battle” get anyone else smack dab in the feels? No? just me?) And on that note, I liked that, even though our YA peeps remain the main characters and protagonists, there is a recognition in the writing that they are “just kids” – with the requisite adults-uninterested-in-taking-orders-from-them issues that would obviously arise in this situation if it were real life. That’s not something usually (if ever) addressed in YA fantasy/sci-fi and I liked the way it was handled. They don’t lose their awesomeness, but the clear “it’s not ideal but they’re the best for the jobs under the circumstances and will rise to the challenges magnificently” is a nice change of pace and grounded the characters in a better reality (if you will, considering the plot is clearly fantastical…). Asha’s redemption situation with Katya was a lovely side-plot and a great linchpin moment for the ending. Possibly, it’s one of the only believable ways the land battle could have ended in an even marginally happy way, and, as a plot device, it was executed on pointe. And last, I am a sucker for some YA meant-to-be romance shit and this series did not disappoint on that front. Boom. Oh, I guess that wasn’t last, because I have one more comment: AIDAN. What an incredibly fascinating “character.” Making the impossible choices and taking the bad rap as the “monster,” in its own words, but brought back online every time because it was so necessary. I just….it was so cool.

Finally, the writing. As with the first two, the dossier presentation of the story was carried out perfectly. Such a creative story telling method, and carried out in a way that was interesting and added to the “atmosphere” without getting boring or tedious. I also appreciated that, in general, the tone stayed the same as the first books, even though the stakes were getting ever higher. What I mean by that is, the snark and language and teen-level communication remained on point, though dampened slightly and appropriately when events called for it. That was a perilous line well-walked, as far as ambiance.

This series was superbly entertaining, from start to finish. I totally understand the hype and I’m so glad I finally got around to reading it. I am also super glad that I managed to delay until all the books were published, because I really don’t think I could have waited for the next one with anything resembling patience. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my time reading these books and was also (no spoilers, promise) really happy with the ending; realistic or not, it’s exactly what I wanted. . Everyone needs a message of David vs Goliath once in awhile. If you are looking for some fast-paced, detailed, uniquely told, YA sci-fi with some sweet romances and non-stop action (basically, the ideal “I need a break from heavier reads and a chance to just enjoy reading for its entertainment value”), I definitely recommend The Illuminae Files. I'll miss these characters.