After returning from her incarceration in Avon, Blake finds herself struggling to keep pace with the demands of leading the Supernatural Council—while the shadow of Forde’s warnings refuses to fade.

As pressure mounts, an unexpected letter arrives from Gregory, the mysterious sorcerer from the Alumni ball, inviting her to his home. Blake is ready to refuse—until she realises this may be her only chance to uncover the truth about Valeria’s past and her own uncertain origins. Reluctantly, she agrees to make the journey.

But as Blake searches for answers, one thing becomes impossible to ignore—the Giants. Time and again, they surface at the centre of every mystery, drawing her closer to a connection she can no longer deny. Determined to finally understand their role in her life, Blake sets out to visit their island.

What begins as a journey filled with curiosity and excitement soon unravels into something far more dangerous. Because the deeper Blake digs into her connection to the Giants, the clearer it becomes that some truths were never meant to be uncovered…

My Review

We begin the prologue with Daniel describing the Citadel at Elyria. His love for magic is pure, but it is tainted by his self-absorbed father. I’m not completely sure where this is going yet, but I can’t wait to find out. One thing is clear right away though, this book is very political.

Blake is much more mature in this story now that she is a leader of the supernatural council. Her and Grayson are still a thing, yay! I adore that they are still in Vale. Things are complicated with pressure, politics, changes in leadership, and just the general maturity that is impacting all of them. I also love that the gang is back. Grayson, Selena, Josh, Tyler, and Beth bring those familiar found-family vibes that I loved in the earlier books.

The homey found-family vibes in these books are fantastic, and I love the jokes. So many of them are quoteable. From policies and politics to mausoleums, mansions, and giants, this story is an adventure and school hasn’t even started yet.

OMG, the power sharing is so cool. The sudden diplomacy, not so much, but I appreciate the maturity of the characters. Gregory and Forde aren’t just characters you love to dislike. They are truly deplorable.

This book gets a little more twisted as we bring in unexpected foes and history. I really wasn’t surprised when it built toward this point, but at the same time, I was sitting here trying to make sense of this new direction.

The love triangle bit is creepy. I don’t know what else to say about it. 😂 I’m a sucker for fated mates, though, and Grayson and Blake do not disappoint. The otherworldly mess that is Blake’s existence, the drama of war, and all this new information is a lot.

This book is very political, and I wasn’t getting the same vibes I got from the first two books, especially that “burn the universe for her” feeling that I loved so much. There are so many shifters, species, and characters, though, and I really enjoyed getting to know more of them.

The ending of this story gets infinitely better, but does that completely replace the slower setup that got us there? While I was invested because it is Blake and Grayson, I wasn’t sure the political maneuvering, ultimatums, and resurrections of demons long past outweighed the initial slower start to the story.

Then…

OMG. THE ENDING. WHAT?! Yikes and huh?! You blew my mind.

And the dedication at the end! I am swooning. Thank you. The hidden acknowledgment was so special, and I want to share it because it genuinely meant a lot to me.

Okay, I take it back. 😂 While this book is slower than the others, that ending packs a TKO.

Now I must read the next one because it’s them, and I am completely invested in this phoenix and dragon-shifter fated-mate story. I adore how far Blake’s story arc has come throughout this series, and I am absolutely flabbergasted by the originality in this book.

Thank you, Bethany Savant, for this ARC and for having me on your reader team. Thank you for the dedication and for crafting a storyline that isn’t like other books.

I voluntarily received this ARC and am leaving an honest review. 

If you would like to read Ascend (The Rising Series Book 3)by Bethany Savant you can find this book on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn on qualifying purchases. 

This is the third book in the series I recommend you start the series with book 1 Ashes, Book 2 Arise and then book 3. Their is another book coming soon.

If you like this book you may also enjoy books with these tags and categories: Heroine, Dragon Shifters, and Fantasy.