RELEASE DAY REVIEW: Brave (A Wicked Saga #3)

Brave (A Wicked Saga #3), by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publish Date: December 11, 2017
Publisher: self-published
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author
Genre: new adult paranormal romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4.5 STARS

(Synopsis) Ivy Morgan hasn't been feeling like herself lately. Not like anyone can blame her. After all, being held captive by a psychotic fae prince hell-bent on permanently opening the gates to the Otherworld is bound to leave some mental scars.

It’s more than that, though. Something dark and insidious is spreading throughout Ivy, more powerful than she could ever imagine... and it’s coming between her and the man she’s fallen deeply in love with, elite Order member Ren Owens.

Ren would do anything to keep Ivy safe. Anything. But when he makes a life altering choice for her, the fallout of his act has far reaching consequences that threaten to tear their lives apart. If Ivy is going to have any hope of surviving this, she must put aside the hurt and betrayal she feels, and work with not only those she loves, but with an enemy she would rather kill than ever trust. War is coming, and it soon becomes clear that what Ivy and Ren thought they knew about the Order, themselves, and even their enemies, has been nothing but a cluster of dangerous, deadly lies. Ivy knows she must be more than just brave to save those she loves--and, ultimately, to save herself.

Because behind every evil fae Prince, there’s a Queen…

I knew Brave would be a crazy awesome ride. After the emotional roller coaster that was Torn, I think everyone - both the fictional characters in this awesome fae-rich world and the readers who cried and bit their nails - was ready for Ivy and Ren to finally have the HEA that has seemed so elusive for them. And knowing Jen Armentrout like I do, I knew that Brave would deliver that in some way, shape or form. She's known to give her characters the happy ending we all want for them, but they always have to go through some serious trials along the way. That has never been more true than in this series. 

Brave picks up right where Torn left off. Ivy and Ren are resting up at the hidden "Hotel Good Fae" with Tink and the rest of the good Summer Court fae that helped them escape from the evil Winter Court Prince Drake. But, after all the horrible things Ivy suffered at his hands have left a lasting impression on her. She's not the same girl that once went to college by day and slayed evil fae by night. There's a new darkness and fear within her, and it's affecting everything - her strength, her sleep, and her relationship with Ren. 

My heart was in pieces for Ivy. She's suffering so much at the beginning of Brave, and she doesn't know how to deal with it. I wanted to shake her - to tell her to lean on Ren and Tink. But, I know it's not that easy, and that's never been more apparent than it is here. 

The first 40% or so of Brave is all about Ivy once again learning to find herself - to be brave in the face of so many things to fear. The last 60% of the book is all action. It's one near-death experience after another as Ivy, Ren, Tink and their friends try to find a way to stop Drake from fulfilling the prophecy. 

Just because we're pretty deep into the story doesn't mean that there isn't room to introduce new characters. One in particular proves to be vital to Ivy's survival. In addition to new characters, we also see some from the beginning pop up again. It's almost like Ivy and Ren come full circle, which seems fitting in the final book of this trilogy. 

I guess this is a good time to mention that it's not exactly going to be a trilogy. Certain events don't wrap up quite as neatly as I would've liked. Certain characters' futures are ambiguous. At first, those things bummed me out a little bit. Until I saw that 1,001 Dark Nights will publish a novella called The Prince that will take place in this world. And I am hoping that it will effectively wrap up all those loose ends that were bugging me. 

Brave is told entirely from Ivy's POV. It's not an accident that the cover features only her this time. Ren is a very prominent figure, and I promise if you were on the fence about him before, you will adore him by the end. But Brave is very much the story of Ivy finding herself again. It was emotional, exciting and sexy. It was awesome.