The Beauty of Darkness

The Remnant Chronicles, Book 3

By: Mary E. Pearson

Narrated by: Emily Rankin, Ryan Gesell, Kirby Heyborne, Kim Mai Guest, Ann Marie Lee

Lia and Rafe have escaped Venda, and the path before them is winding and dangerous - what will happen now? This third and final book in The Remnant Chronicles is not to be missed.

Best-selling author Mary E. Pearson's combination of intrigue, suspense, romance, and action makes this a riveting listen for teens.

Cast of narrators:

Emily Rankin (reading Lia)
Ryan Gesell (reading Rafe)
Kirby Heyborne (reading Kaden)
Kim Mai Guest (reading Pauline)
Ann Marie Lee (reading additional material)

©2016 Mary E. Pearson (P)2016 Listening Library

Loved this series!!

Great story, great narration! I recommend this to anyone who loves strong, complex characters and stories about survival and overcoming the impossible.

Deceptive as it is Intriguing

So the story comes to a close in the final battle for the love of a man and her people. This was such a well written series with incredible depth of characters closing out all the twists from the other first two of the series. Definitely worth the read/listen.

best of the bunch

This book is by far the best of them all. The author did an amazing job tying the whole story together. it was intense, tear jerking and just beautiful. I am so sad to see this story end. Like any book, it has it's weak points, but a truly wonderful story from beginning to end.

A Great Series

I loved every book in the series. I actually listened to them as audio books and the narrators did such a good job telling the story. There are so many twists in the story. In fact, in the first book, I had to actually rewind it a little to make sure I heard something right when the first twist was revealed. I loved the characters and I didn’t want the book to end.

Live this series

My fourth time through this series. The story & narrators are excellent. One of my favorite series.

Fantastic.

This whole series has really pulled me along. The names, the places, the languages, intrigue and depth of love, often brought tears or a laugh.

Good ending

The descriptions of the ancients really make you think and try to draw conclusions as to what they could be. The ending is not what you expect but is still a good ending.

I really enjoyed the entire series

I really enjoyed this entire series. It was interesting and the author did a great job really creating an entire world, and transporting you to that setting. The characters were good; I wish that there were more romance development in the character relationships though.

Good fun!

I enjoyed this quite a bit. The ending fit perfectly with the rest of the series!

Epic fantasy that immerses you into anew world

What made the experience of listening to The Beauty of Darkness the most enjoyable?

This whole series came alive with each voice. They captured the depth and life of the characters easily and put just the right emphasis and effort into each chapter. They really became their characters.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character in this book was probably Lia, who finally understood and trusted herself and the gift enough to do what needed to be done, no matter who questioned or disagreed with her. She really grew into her role and developed a lot. I loved her realization that there were two Vendas and her determination to help the poor and abused people of Venda reclaim their past as well as their future.

SPOILERS:I was disappointed with Kaden's character though, because after all of his defending, protecting and loving Lia in Venda, he is suddenly cast aside and abandoned by Lia completely in this book. I really felt cheated out of that love story, especially after the author spent so much time establishing it and selling it to us. I felt Lia and Kaden had more in common and were a better match than Rafe and Lia. I also HATED that he and Pauline ended up together, almost as if the author didn't know what to do with him so she just slapped them together, even though their only previously mentioned interaction was in Teravin when Pauline noted that he had "kind eyes."

Which character – as performed by Emily Rankin and full cast – was your favorite?

I loved all of the voices but Pauline's. The voice actress for Pauline grated on my nerves and I found myself wanting to skip all of her parts just to avoid listening to her mousy whimpering. Kaden, Rafe and Lia were all excellent though. I really enjoyed Rafe's posse of friends, whose loyalty, bravery, and comraderie really shined in the last two books.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Lia killed Malek, it was such sweet revenge. Also, when Rafe finally realized what a jerk he had been and that he had to let Lia go home. And then later, when he got together his posse to help her expose the traitors. Jeb's death really wounded me, as I was really hoping he'd make it. I guess that's a testament to the author's ability to get the readers to care about even the minor characters. And Rafe's surprise return to Venda in the end as the emissary of Dolbreck, which was fitting.

Any additional comments?

Mary Pearson is a splendid storyteller and has a real talent for descriptions that show instead of tell. Several times throughout the book, I smiled when I understood exactly what she was trying to convey, whether it was a feeling, an emotion, or something physical. I look forward to other fantasies she may come up with.