Endsinger

The Lotus War, Book Three

By: Jay Kristoff

Narrated by: Jennifer Ikeda

Length: 21 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

With Stormdancer, Jay Kristoff came roaring onto the fantasy scene - he has been praised as "the master of unique and intense plots and huge twists" (USA Today), while critics raved about the novel, calling it "[A] fast-paced, fantastical adventure [that] is sharp as a Shogun's sword." (The LA Times). And with healthy sales in hardcover and electronic - fueled by Jay's inventive, enthusiastic, and relentless promotion on his website, Facebook, Twitter, and the blogosphere - we know readers are hungry for the finale to his wildly inventive Lotus War saga.

As civil war sweeps across the Shima Imperium, the Lotus Guild unleashes their deadliest creation - a mechanical goliath, intended to unite the shattered Empire under a yoke of fear. Yukiko and Buruu are forced to take leadership of the rebellion, gathering new allies and old friends. But the ghosts of Buruu's past stand between them and the army they need, and Kin's betrayal has destroyed all trust among their allies. When a new foe joins the war, it will be all the pair can do to muster the strength to fight, let alone win. And as the earth splits asunder, as armies destroy each other for rule over an empire of lifeless ash and the final secret about blood lotus is revealed, the people of Shima will learn one last, horrifying truth. An exciting, vivid conclusion to a critically acclaimed series, Endsinger is sure to have fans racing through the minutes to savor every last revelation.

©2014 Jay Kristoff (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Great series and entertaining story.

The Lotus war series is one of my new favorites. welcome to a steam punk distopia that includes legendary mythical creatures and semi magical powers. it is exciting from the beginning and holds your attention throughout. great story and excellent performance by Jennifer Ikeda.

Breathtaking Fresh Riveting

Twisting across your imagination like white chocolate mousse. Combination Samaria, Steampunk, and Fantasy, written by a man who knows how to voice a female hero. Deeply challenging your view of the world, technology vs conservation, boshido vs free will, interwoven with love and loss, friendship, joy and pain. What a wonderful ride, what more can we ask for. Victory at what price, leaves you begging for more.

The audio was great, a challenging book to read out loud, brought to life with only minor points that could be improved.

What a unique series!

I really enjoyed the mix and the changes in the story with each book. I especially liked the visual descriptions given!

Good ending to story

Is not perfect and some of the ending is a bit predictable, but for the most part was a good ending book to this trilogy.

A number of tearjerker moments, a few surprises and a lot of reality in this ending book. Not everyone lives, not everyone happy at the end and not all wounds heal. there is good , there is bad and there is ugly in the story and the characters act/react like real people not made up happily ever after fair story characters.

Was very enjoyable to listen to and the story makes you want to get involved with the characters. Any moral or other preaching the author might have been doing in the trilogy was gentle and did not overpower the story. which is as it should be.

Great end to a great series!

This series had its ups and downs for me but im glad I stuck through til the end.

Outstanding!

What did you love best about Endsinger?

The story! The characters! The heartache! The humor!

What other book might you compare Endsinger to and why?

Endsinger is rather unique but I'd consider comparing the epic nature of it all to Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings w/ a steampunk twist.

What about Jennifer Ikeda’s performance did you like?

It's passionate and detailed, echoing the characters and story perfectly.

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

About the last 25% - I can't give details or it would ruin it!

Any additional comments?

​No specific spoilers here. It has taken me a few days to try to write a coherent review following my emotional turmoil and profuse sobbing after completing this series.

Endsinger is a truly satisfying conclusion to the Lotus Wars. Kristoff continues to solidify himself as a master storyteller. The sheer creativity of the plot, well developed characters and relationships as well as the profound writing style make this a stunning read. Reading this series is an experience for the senses.

Having read Kristoff's stance on happy endings, I tried to prepare myself for the worst but hoped for the best. I was not disappointed. The losses sustained are meaningful and necessary for the story. That being said, they were still gut-wrenching. Despite the heartache, this remains probably my most memorable read of 2014. I have the strong desire to immediately start the series again just to relive the highs and lows of such a beautiful kinship and poignant portrait of human and beastkind at their best and worst.

Read it for the closure...

Jennifer Ikeda, as always did an amazing job with the voice acting. Though, I found this one hard to get through and it seemed to draw on at points. I’ll admit that my motivation to continue reading wasn’t for the joy of it, but simply for some closure. I’m not a huge fan of panning, since I was only really interested in Yukikos perspective for most of the story (even though I kind of hated her at times). There were some lovely scenes with Hana, Yoshi, Michi and Kin, but so many that I felt were unnecessary. Overall it was a decent conclusion to the series.

As Jay Kristoff as stated, he’s not a believer in happy endings which left us with a heart wrenching ending that had me full on weeping.

Lotus must bloom; lotus must burn

“Izanagi’s balls!”
Five burning stars, yes! This is the white walker ending GoT should have given us. It may seem like a long twisted path, but it comes together in a stunning finish here.

“If this is your ‘what will be’ there is no escaping it.
Best look it in the eye as it comes for you, then kick it in the balls.”
The world goes from bad to apocalyptic, but this final book is where we get to see what all the characters are made of. Michi, Akihito, Hannah, Yoshi … so many unique, compelling, never-say-die scrappers.

“[she] caught her grief and swallowed it, rusted and sharp.”
And yet, as many will die than survive. Grab the tissues, because the author doesn’t do happy endings. Instead he cuts deep, then twists, then wrenches the jagged blade out before plunging it in again, so that any happiness on the other side of survival is riddled with scars. The last three chapters are Epitaph, Eulogy, and Epilogue: quintessential Kristoff.

“Skin is strong” but flesh is stronger.
And yet, the uplifting outweighs everything else in the end. Destiny, honor, redemption and sacrifice. Damn you and thank you, Mr. Kristoff, for this story that cuts deep in all the best ways.

rollercoaster of emotion

Know this... you'll fear, you'll love, you'll laugh and will cry. you'll know the taste of sacrifice.

Perfect Ending

All I can say is I cried. Kristoff we need a follow up or something.