The Rising

By: Kelley Armstrong

Narrated by: Jennifer Ikeda

Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Things are getting desperate for Maya and her friends. Hunted by the powerful St. Clouds and now a rival cabal as well, they're quickly running out of places to hide. And with the whole world thinking they died in a helicopter crash, it's not like they can just go to the authorities for help.

All they have is the name and number of someone who might be able to give them a few answers. Answers to why they're so valuable, and why their supernatural powers are getting more and more out of control.

But Maya is unprepared for the truths that await her. And now, like it or not, she'll have to face down some demons from her past if she ever hopes to move on with her life. Because Maya can't keep running forever.

Old secrets are revealed and unexpected characters make a surprising return in this stunning conclusion to Kelley Armstrong's New York Times best-selling Darkness Rising trilogy.

©2013 KLA Fricke Inc. (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers

Predictable, but entertaining

After reading all three books, I am alittle disappointed.
The idea was great, but never really went where I was hoping.
(SPOILER ALERT)
I was very excited about the different extinct supernatural types. 4 very unique, very different supernatural beings that could have made a great idea into an amazing story. I enjoyed the beginning as I tried to figure out who was what kind of type.
Unfortunately, aside from Miya, none of the characters powers are talked about im depth. Its just a very brief description now and then of what they can do. Its never explained why Corrie gets the head aches. Its never explained if Nicole went mad because of the experiment or not.
There isn't much actual supernatural action happening besides Miya turning into a cougar.
As for the love story, I found it cringey. Both the relationship with Daniel and with Rafe felt forced. By the end of the third book I grimaced anytime they appeared in the story. It was just too much. I get that real teenage romance is angsty, but the supernatural to angst ratio wasn't working out.
Also, I may have forgotten, but I don't believe Miya's page missing from Mina Lees notes was ever explained. Was it Calvin who took it?

We couldn't make it through to the end.

Would you try another book from Kelley Armstrong and/or Jennifer Ikeda?

I would listen to the narrator again. I think she was put in a bad position trying to act this wretched book out.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Maybe one of the Sookie Stackhouse books.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Jennifer Ikeda?

I don't know if this could have been saved even by Jim Dale.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Rising?

WOW, OK let me think. Well I would have cut out the scene of her and her brother waiting for something to happen at the funeral. But really it was more about editing the actual writing, the unnecessary exposition, the voice over thoughts that were irrelevant. The book made me feel like I was trapped in an elevator with a verbose 13 year old girl telling me all about her very average day at school.

Any additional comments?

I think my ears started to bleed before I turned off the book.